


Biblical - Sequel to Tell Me I'm an Angel

by SeraphStarshine



Series: Tell Me I'm an Angel [2]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Religious, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angel & Demon Interactions, Angel/Demon Relationship, Battle Scenes, Biblical References, Complete, Eventual Smut, Graphic Description, M/M, Prophecy, Wing Kink, Wingfic, apocalyptic events, loss of memories, nice domestic fluff, non binary character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-03-28 23:45:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 91,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3874369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeraphStarshine/pseuds/SeraphStarshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Tell Me I'm an Angel:</p><p>Frank Iero's life is borderline perfect: he has an amazing husband, his dream job, and he is truly happy, except for the nagging feeling that he can never quite shake that he is supposed to be doing something else - something important. </p><p>When strange events begin to happen around the globe, Frank is visited by a pair of forgotten friends, and he regains the memories that were wiped from his mind all those years ago. </p><p>Frank finds himself faced with an impossible choice: live out whatever time the world has left with Gerard, or risk everything to stop this new threat, but potentially lose his life, or even worse - Gerard's - in the process.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So as the title says, this is the sequel to Tell Me I'm an Angel, so if you haven't read that, this story will probably be very confusing. 
> 
> This is going to be written a lot differently than TMIAA; there will be no diary entries because that got way too hard to follow through on, I mean - I basically had them writing in their logs on the battlefield at one point. Anyway, I am done with that idea, so this will all be in third person.
> 
> This is the first sequel I have ever written, so hopefully it will do TMIAA justice.

Frank was sleeping soundly, or at least, he was _tryin_ g to, but the pesky sunshine that was peeking through the curtains he had failed to close all the way last night was doing its best to prevent him from returning to his dreams.

Frank was way too lazy to actually get up and shut them though, because he knew once he moved, he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, and he was in no way ready to wake up and face the day just yet.

So instead, he snuggled into his husband's side, blocking out the harsh light by burying his face against Gerard's chest and listening to his steady heartbeat. Gerard didn't stir at all - not that Frank expected him too, his husband could probably sleep through an earthquake without noticing the phenomenon, and that wasn't an exaggeration.

Gerard always slept in late, even though Frank usually didn't; on a typical day, Frank would already be up and headed to work by this time, but his week vacation had started today, so he actually got the luxury of sleeping in for once.

Frank enjoyed his job, even though being a pilot wasn't what Frank had originally planned on doing, but when his band LeATHERMOUTH hadn't worked out, Frank had to think of something else. He had always wanted to make music, but as he grew older, he realized that it wasn't exactly practical, and Frank didn't really like being a front man anyway, with his social anxiety - not to mention his shitty immune system, it was almost more trouble than it was worth.

Then one day, when Frank and Gerard had flown to California to visit some family, Frank had discovered his love of flight. Before then, Frank had never been on an airplane, so he had no idea what he had been missing out on. As soon as the wheels left the runway, Frank's heart had soared even higher than the plane. It was as if Frank had been born to fly, and he felt more at home in the air than he ever had on the ground. As soon as they had returned from their trip, Frank enrolled in flight school, ecstatic over the fact that he had finally found his calling.

Frank had started out as a commercial airline pilot, but he hated being away from Gerard for such extended periods of time, so when he procured a position as a pilot for a nearby skydiving center, it had been a dream come true. Now he got to come home to his loving husband every night and still fly for a living - it didn't get much better than that.

Still, Frank had been looking forward to his vacation, and even though he knew he would miss the exhilaration of being in the air soon enough, a whole week of nothing but him and Gerard was a welcome change.

Gerard worked from home, selling his paintings online and doing a few shows in the local art gallery, and between the two of them, they made a decent income. Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter though, because they were both doing something they loved for a living, and happiness was more important than money.

Frank was pretty sure he would be content cleaning toilets though as long as he was with Gerard. Everything about him was perfect - in Frank's eyes at least, and he made the world a thousand times better by just _existing_.

Ever since that random encounter in the library almost fifteen years ago, Gerard and Frank had been inseparable; it wasn't long after that before they started dating, and they had finally tied the knot three years ago, which had been the best day of Frank's life.

Frank had never been a believer in true love until he had met Gerard, but now all those things he had read about in story books made sense. Gerard was his soul mate - he knew that for a fact, and every day he woke up next to his husband made Frank fall for him just a little bit more.

It was the only way to explain the strange connection they shared, which Gerard had admitted to feeling as well not long after they had met. It was like their hearts had recognized their other halves, even though they had never met before, and that feeling hadn't faded away - if anything, it grew stronger over time.

Of course their relationship wasn't _perfect_ ; they fought and got irritated with each other just like every other couple, but they had never once stopped loving each other, and their friends and family had informed them that they were oddly clingy, even after being together for fifteen years.

Frank didn't care though; Gerard was his entire world, and he would do anything for him, and he knew Gerard felt the same way. So what if everyone thought it was weird that they didn't want to spend much time apart, and Frank had long ago stopped being bothered by his colleagues teasing over how often he called Gerard when he was at work - he just hated being separated from the man he loved.

Frank couldn't explain why he had this deep-seated need to always be around his husband, and he realized that most couples were much less dependent on each other, but Frank got a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach when he was away from Gerard, like he might disappear while he was gone, and Gerard seemed to share his slight paranoia.

Frank was terrified that one day he was going to wake up and he would be that angry sixteen year old again, and he had just dreamed up his perfect man, because Gerard really seemed too good to be real sometimes, and if that made him act a little bit strange, he couldn't help it, and as long as Gerard didn't mind, then he wasn't going to worry about it.

It wasn't a dream though, this was Frank's life, and he was so happy that he got to share it with Gerard.

But even though Frank had everything he could ever want and then some, he still wasn't one hundred percent satisfied, and he wasn't sure why. Sometimes, Frank felt like he wasn't doing the correct thing, or that he wasn't on the right path - _something_ like that, it was hard to explain.

He couldn't put the emotions he felt into words; if he had to try, he would say it was like a forgotten memory was plaguing him, or that he wasn't supposed to be the person he had ended up as, and even though his life was amazing - it seemed so _unimportant_ at times.

That wasn't the strangest thing though - not by a long shot. It was the unexplained bouts of desolation that plagued Frank that really confused him. Ever since he had met Gerard, Frank was hit with a wave of sorrow once a year. They usually lasted for a day or two, and during them, Frank couldn't shake the sensation of being crushed and heartbroken for absolutely no reason.

They always occurred right around the same time - the first week of April to be exact, and Frank wasn't able to function during them, all he wanted to do was mope around the house, and he usually ended up calling into work for a few days to do just that.

Gerard had no idea where these fits came from either, but he did his best to support Frank through them, never leaving his side and constantly reassuring him that everything was okay. Frank had only been through one of these episodes without Gerard - who had been out of town for an art show at the time, and that had been the worst instance by far. Frank had become absolutely hysterical without Gerard's familiar presence, and he had spent the entire day waiting for him to come back home sobbing brokenly into his pillow.

Gerard had convinced him to see a therapist a few years back, but that had been pointless. None of the professionals he visited had been able to pinpoint what was causing Frank to feel this way. They had analyzed every aspect of Frank's life, which wasn't very interesting or dramatic. He had two loving parents who were both still alive, an amazing husband, and he had never been through any traumatic event that could have scarred him emotionally. After a few months, Frank had stopped going, because it was just a waste of money, and if he couldn't figure out what the fuck was wrong with his head, a stranger wasn't going to be able to either.

Besides that one setback, Frank's life was pretty much perfect, and even though he wished he understood the oddities his brain tortured him with, Frank didn't want to worry about them right now, not when he had an entire week of alone time with his husband to look forward to.

Frank peered at Gerard with tired eyes, trying to ascertain if he was close to waking up yet, but he was still snoring slightly, so Frank took the time to admire the gorgeous man that he loved with all of his heart. His black hair hung haphazardly around his face, the ends rising and falling as Gerard breathed in and out.

Frank brushed the errant strands out of the way gently so he could get a better look at Gerard's features. Frank loved watching Gerard when he slept - as creepy as that sounds, because that was the only time Gerard was truly relaxed. When he was awake, he was always thinking about something, his brows drawn together slightly and his forehead furrowed as he contemplated his next painting, or what he wanted for dinner, or anything in between, and it was only in rare moments like these when Gerard's brain shut down completely that his expression was entirely unlined and carefree.

Soothed by the sight of his peacefully slumbering husband, Frank snuggled back into Gerard's side, allowing his muscles to loosen up as he listened to the gentle cadence of his lover's breathing, a half smile tugging at his lips as his lids grew heavy, Gerard's warmth heating his skin as he dozed in and out of consciousness.


	2. Frank's Time Of The Month - Well Year Actually

_Soaring..._

_The wind rushing past so quickly - it almost hurt, but it was a good pain, an exhilarating rush that even the fastest jet couldn't reproduce._

Frank knew he was dreaming - _sort of_ , at least, he was aware that this wasn't really happening, but he didn't mind. So far - this was a very good dream, and he didn't think he could wake himself up even if he wanted to, so he just enjoyed the sensation of being in the air.

Frank wondered what he was flying in to feel this way, because he had never experienced something like this before, and he had piloted many different types of aircraft, but for some reason, he couldn't see anything - just a fuzzy whiteness, but he could feel everything.

_Something pumping behind him, but it wasn't a machine; it was part of him, like an arm or a leg._

With agonizing slowness, Frank's vision began to come into focus, and he realized that it had been clouds obscuring his view of the world around him.

The first thing he noticed was the lack of any contraption supporting him; he was aloft in the air without the metal body of a plane around him. Next, he took in the scenery - he was flying over a scorching desert, and under his feet, a heated battle was occurring.

Finally, Frank glanced behind him, and he couldn't help the surprised gasp that emitted from his mouth when he took in what was keeping him airborne, completely forgetting about the fighting below him in his shock.

Frank had _wings_ \- glorious feathered appendages that beat steadily against the sky, using the shifting air currents to hold his small body up. They were _stunning_ ; dark grey in color at the ends, but the shade progressively lightened to a pure white, and Frank wished he had a mirror at hand so he could examine them closer, but even from this awkward angle, they took Frank's breath away.

Frank had no idea how he had come by these pinions, but this was a dream after all, so he just brushed it off and continued to soar like he had been doing it his entire life.

He wasn't completely in control of his body, it seemed to be moving for him, and the Frank that knew this was a dream was lodged somewhere in the back of his brain - observing, but not participating.

A nagging sensation began to overtake Frank's joy at flying with no restrictions whatsoever, and even though he tried to brush it off, the persistent feeling wouldn't leave his head, and Frank was getting irritated at the fact that he couldn't just relax and enjoy the wondrous sights around him.

His eyes constantly scanned the battlefield, searching for _something_ , but he hadn't figured out what yet. The people below had wings as well, some were similar to his, while others were skeletal and bony, and they didn't seem like they could support the weight of their owners at all, even though he was witnessing them taking to the air.

_Red...a flash of red...where is it?_

There was red everywhere - the red stain of blood on the ground, but not the exact shade that dream Frank was searching for. He was looking for something brighter - _startlingly_ so...red hair?

Frank could sense his dream self's thoughts, but only faintly, as if he was looking through a fogged up glass at the images his other self's mind contained. Whoever the owner of the red hair was, he was very important to dream Frank, and he was panicking at the fact that he hadn't found him yet.

Suddenly, dream Frank banked right, flying even faster toward an unknown destination, and Frank was forced to tag along for the ride. Despite the sheer terror he could feel emitting from his other side, Frank couldn't help but let his heart soar at the way they glided through the air with more ease than he ever thought was possible.

They were getting close to whatever dream Frank was searching for; Frank felt their heartbeat speed up and their body was pushed to its limits as their surroundings whipped past them in a blur.

With a mighty flap of his wings, the Frank in control of their body halted their downward spiral, and the sight that met Frank's eyes made this pleasant dream into a horrible nightmare.

It was _Gerard_ \- Frank would recognize him anywhere, even though this version of him had bright red hair that hung lankly across his bruised face. His body was unhealthily thin, and his torso was crisscrossed in oozing wounds that made Frank wince, as if he could feel the pain that Gerard must be going through.

That wasn't the worst thing though - _no_ , not by a long shot. Gerard was being held by two people with those odd skeletal wings, and another being stood in front of him. This man's pinions were as black as the starless night sky, and a twisted expression of glee contorted his handsome face as his eyes fell on Frank.

The dream Frank seemed immobilized in the air, and even though the real Frank was screaming in their head for him to do something - to swoop down and rescue Gerard, to save him, _anything_ \- neither of them had control over their body anymore.

"And so ends another pair of tragic lovers," the one with the pitch black wings spoke in a cruel tone of voice, meeting Frank's eyes as he pressed a slender knife against Gerard's pale neck.

Gerard tried to back away, but the strange men holding him blocked his movement, tightening their grip on his shoulders so he could barely even squirm.

Both Franks were still frozen in place, and for the first time, their emotions were exact replicas of each other's; stark horror and utter desolation combined into a deadly cocktail topped with just enough helplessness to make Frank want to throw up.

Frank didn't want to look at the strange man who was threatening his lover anymore, so he forced dream Frank to rip his gaze away from him so he could meet Gerard's eyes instead. They weren't filled with terror like Frank assumed his own eyes were. Instead, they seemed content, like Gerard was at peace with whatever was happening.

"It's okay Frank...I love you," Gerard whispered quietly, so quietly in fact that Frank shouldn't have been able to hear him from where he hovered in midair, but Gerard's voice reached his ears as if they centimeters apart.

"No! You can't do this!" Frank screamed, but he still couldn't move, and there was absolutely nothing stopping this strange man for taking Gerard's life, even though he had no idea why any of this was occurring in the first place, and he was clueless about what Gerard - or _himself_ \- had done to make this man so angry with them.

Frank didn't want to watch what he knew would happen next, but he couldn't force himself to look away, so even though his eyes were blurring with tears, Frank kept his gaze firmly fixed on Gerard's face, trying to memorize every detail of the perfect man who stood before him. Gerard's expression was resolute, and even in this precarious position, he showed no fear, while on the other hand, Frank was a blubbering mess of emotions inside.

"Let this be a lesson to all that challenge the King of Hell!" the winged man bellowed loudly, and with those words, he swiped his knife across Gerard's pale throat, leaving an angry gash in its place.

Frank watched in horror as Gerard's face contorted in an expression of shock, his eyes widened and his face paled even more before pain overtook his features, and finally - panic set in. Gerard's hands fluttered up to his throat, hampered by chains that Frank had only just now noticed were shackled around his thin wrists.

Frank wanted, no - _needed_ \- to do something. His body ached to fly to Gerard and hold him in his final moments, or maybe he should attack the stranger who had just stolen Gerard's life and turn his own blade against him, but Frank was still frozen, and no matter how hard he tried to force his body to cooperate, nothing worked.

Gerard fell to the floor with a soft thump, and all Frank could do was watch as his life blood spilled rapidly onto the sands, staining the ground around him a grisly red.

In that moment, Frank forgot this was only a dream, because everything seemed so _real_. The pain in his chest was unlike any agony he had ever experienced before, and he thought his heart would explode from it.

When his vision began to slowly white out, Frank thought he was truly dying, and he didn't mind - what was the point in living if Gerard was no longer in this world?

His last conscious thought wasn't his own - it was dream Frank's, but the other Frank still meant it as well.

_I love you...oh god...I'm so sorry, I failed you...I will find you again - I promise._

Frank was jolted awake by a torturous scream; the pitiful wail carried all of the sorrow in the world and then some - it was the cry of a broken man, and it was physically painful to hear. It took Frank a moment to realize that the awful sound was being produced by his own mouth, and he was shocked at his discovery.

"Frankie...Frankie baby - you gotta wake up okay? I'm here...I've got you." Gerard's voice cut through Frank's confusion, and that was all he needed to shake off the veil of sleep that had been clouding his mind and come back to reality.

He was in his bed, well _actually_ \- in Gerard's arms to be precise, and his husband was rocking him back and forth gently, whispering soothing words in his ear. Frank's body was coated in a thin layer of cold sweat, and his heart was beating rapidly against his chest.

"Gerard?" Frank croaked weakly, his throat was sore - from screaming he assumed, but he couldn't remember what had caused him to do that in the first place. He knew that he had been dreaming, but the visual pictures had drained away as soon as he had awakened.

"Oh thank god - you're awake. You scared me sugar," Gerard sighed in relief, ceasing his back and forth movements and drawing Frank even closer into his body.

"What happened?" Frank asked curiously, because he was aware that he had obviously yelled out in his sleep, but he wanted to know if he had done anything else.

Frank glanced up at his husband, noticing that he was fully dressed and there was a fresh cup of coffee on the bedside dresser. Bright daylight was pouring through the open windows, and Frank was surprised that he had slept in so late; he only meant to rest his eyes for a little bit longer, but apparently his body had other ideas.

"I think you had a nightmare. I woke up a while ago, but I wanted to let you get as much sleep as you could. I was painting when I thought I heard you crying, so I came in here and you were whimpering and twisting around. I have been trying to wake you up for a couple of minutes..." Gerard trailed off at the end of his explanation, a look of consternation contorting his perfect features as he continued to peer down at Frank anxiously. 

"I was dreaming, but I don't remember what it was about. I think I was flying...but that's it. Everything else is blank after that." Frank searched his memory for what could have distressed him so, but he came up with nothing. He wasn't usually prone to night terrors - or day terrors in this instance - so this was something new to him.

"You can't recall anything else?" Gerard pressed, but try as he might, Frank had to shake his head no as an answer.

"I really don't...as soon as I woke up, I forgot it all."

"I have never seen you act like that before...except for - _well_ \- your time of the year." That was what they called Frank's odd fits of depression now, because Gerard had insisted they needed a name for it, and he hadn't been happy with Frank's suggestion of _'shut the fuck up - it's not a period'_.

"I know, but it's not that. I'm fine now - _promise_." Frank tried to smile with conviction, and he really meant it. He didn't feel anything like sorrow or sadness, mostly he was just confused.

"I'm worried about you baby," Gerard mumbled into Frank's neck. He still hadn't released his hold on Frank, but he wasn't complaining.

"Don't be - it was just a bad dream, they happen." Frank tried to shrug it off, even though he was slightly concerned too. This was just another strange event to add to his ever growing pile, and he really didn't want to deal with this right now.

"I hope so..." Gerard didn't look like he believed Frank, but he dropped the topic and reached around him to grab his abandoned coffee mug, and for that, Frank was glad. He didn't want to spend the day debating his oddities with Gerard, not when they could simply be enjoying each other's company instead.

"What time is it?" Frank asked before a yawn drowned out his words.

"Almost two in the afternoon. I never thought I would see the day when I woke up before you," Gerard giggled.

"Shut up - I was making up for all the sleep I miss on a regular basis because of you." Frank nudged him with his shoulder lightly as he spoke.

"Hey - it's not my fault you decide to stay up so late! You can go to bed whenever you want to," Gerard teased.

"Oh _yeah_ \- I'm going to turn down my horny husband because sleep is so much better. I'm not an _idiot_ ," Frank scoffed in an over exaggerated manner.

"That's right Frankie - sex before sleep, you have your priorities straight."

"Damn right I do," Frank smirked proudly.

"So what do you want to do today?" Gerard asked, obviously trying to change the subject to something not involving Frank's weird dream, and Frank was more than happy to oblige him.

"Some food would be nice, I'm starving," Frank suggested, stretching his stiff muscles before getting out of bed, tugging his husband along with him as he went, clearing his mind of all lingering effects of his nightmare, because whatever it had been about, it wasn't real, so it didn't matter either way.

~~~

Frank and Gerard ended up lazing around the entire day, just because they could, and they hadn't done nothing together in far too long. Gerard cooked Frank breakfast - even though it was well past lunch time, and they wiled away the afternoon watching movies and cuddling like they were teenagers again.

"I think you would look good with red hair," Frank announced out of the blue after their second movie had ended. He wasn't sure why he had said that, even though it was true. The thought just popped into his head and out of his mouth before he was even aware of it.

"Really?" Gerard replied skeptically. He held up a strand of his black hair as if to examine it, and Frank imagined how it would look if it was a bright red - _yes_ \- it would definitely suit him.

"Yeah, it would be hot, and kinda artsy you know - not that I don't love your hair now," Frank reassured his husband, because he knew that he still got insecure over his appearance at times, and Frank didn't want him to go out and dye his hair just because Frank had casually brought it up.

"I never thought about it before..." Gerard mumbled quietly, twisting the piece of hair in between his fingers. As long as Frank had known him, Gerard had sported his dyed black locks, even though Frank knew his natural color was a shade of brown, but he had never seen it.

"Sorry, the thought just kind of came out of nowhere. You look sexy just the way you are." Frank pressed a quick kiss to Gerard's lips to prove his point.

"You are just saying that because you are married to me," Gerard fake pouted.

"Oh no - is it really that obvious?" Frank smirked to show that he was obviously kidding, and he could tell Gerard was holding back a grin.

"I knew it...my husband isn't attracted to me anymore," Gerard sighed dramatically and collapsed back onto the couch, throwing a hand over his face as he did so.

"You are such a dork," Frank grinned, climbing on top of Gerard so he couldn't get up without throwing Frank off his lap.

"Yeah, but I'm _your_ dork."

"That was so cheesy Gerard... _oh my god_ ," Frank snorted, lying down so his chest was pressed against Gerard's.

"So not only are you not attracted to me, but now I'm a cheesy dork! What else do you think of me?" Gerard finally broke character and let out a high pitched giggle.

"I think you are _perfect_ ," Frank whispered, leaning up so he could attach his lips to Gerard's in a slow kiss.

"Aw sugar," Gerard blushed slightly, and Frank loved the fact that he still did that even after all these years.

"I love you," Frank snuggled up against Gerard, making himself as comfortable as possible.

"I love you too baby," Gerard exhaled happily, and Frank was beyond content in this moment.

He wasn't worried about bad dreams, or strange bouts of sorrow, or his fucked up head - _no_ , he couldn't even think about that, not when Gerard's arms were wrapped around him in a protective gesture that made Frank's heart flutter like the wings of a hummingbird. Gerard would keep him safe from the unexplained terrors his mind held, and everything would be okay as long as he had his husband by his side.


	3. Proof That Man-Bat May Be Real After All

"Frankie - come in here!" Gerard's excited voice called out from the living room.

"I'm kinda busy love," Frank answered, because he actually was. He was in the process of making dinner; nothing special, just chicken and vegetables, but Frank was cooking his secret sauce at the moment, and it couldn't be left unattended for too long.

"Hurry up or you're gonna miss it!" Gerard yelled back, so with an over exaggerated sigh, Frank shut off the stove before wiping his hands on a random towel and heading over to see what had gotten his husband so worked up.

It was probably just a really cute cat on some adoption commercial or something, and Gerard was going to try and convince him that they just _had_ to go save it. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened, but Frank would much rather get a dog, and they hadn't come to an agreement on that just yet.

"What babe?" Frank asked, but Gerard simply held his finger up to his lips and pointed to the television which was set on the five o' clock news.

A Hispanic female reporter was currently on the screen, but the volume of the TV was just a bit too low for Frank to make out what she was saying; those couple of years being in a band had messed up his hearing, not to mention working with loud plane engines all day.

Before Frank could ask Gerard to turn it up, he was reaching for the remote and raising the volume, receiving a grateful smile from Frank for his thoughtfulness.

"This horrible tragedy happened early this morning, but we have only now been sent video of the terrible event. We are about to show you live footage straight from Tokyo, which is quite graphic, so viewer discretion is advised," she spoke calmly, and Frank was now very intrigued as to what she was talking about.

The TV screen flashed over to an aerial view of what was apparently Tokyo, and for a few moments, Frank couldn't figure out what was so exciting. The person filming was obviously in some sort of helicopter, at least Frank assumed he was by the sound of the rotors he could hear coming through the faint screams emitting from the people far below.

The population was in a panic, darting to and fro like frightened ants, but Frank still couldn't see what was causing their mass hysteria. Then he saw them, even though he wasn't really sure what _they_ were. Strange figures were flying through the air, alighting on random buildings before pushing off again, and Frank felt his mouth slowly drop open in shock as he continued to watch.

If he had to describe the creatures, he would say they looked like giant bats, but with slightly more human features than the animal usually carried. They were approximately three to four feet tall, and they seemed to be attacking the city, swooping down out of the air to grab a civilian with their extended claws, sometimes dragging them off, other times just raking their skin and leaving them bleeding on the concrete.

The video zoomed in shakily, revealing carnage and blood staining the city streets, people dashing this way and that, trying to escape the nightmarish beasts in the safety of the nearby buildings before the pilot pulled up, disturbing the view for a moment.

When the footage came back into focus, it showed that policemen and a few army personnel had finally reacted, pulling out their guns to shoot at the creatures when they came into range, felling a few, but more kept coming to replace the fallen.

"What the _fuck_?" Frank whispered, but Gerard simply shushed him again, because the short video clip had ended and a different news reporter began to speak. He was Asian, and he seemed to be at the location of the earlier carnage, which was now surrounded by large barriers and blocked off by numerous police cars.

"We have no idea what prompted this assault, or where these animals came from, but the survivors have been driven off, and the city is healing from this unexpected attack. I believe that this has to do with the string of odd occurrences that has been happening worldwide, even though the situation here differs in many ways from the previous disasters." The original news reporter cut him off as the screen switched back to her abruptly.

"Thank you Chen, but I'm so sorry, we are almost out of time. Discovering these creatures origins has become a top priority, and the recovered bodies are currently being studied by the best scientists in their field at the moment. So far, they still remain shrouded in mystery, but stay tuned to channel five news and we will continue to bring you the latest updates." She continued to talk about the death count and extra security measures being taken, but Gerard turned the volume back down just then, so Frank missed most of her words.

"What the _hell_ was that?" Frank gasped, almost expecting Gerard to say it was some elaborate practical joke or something, because there was no way this was real. It seemed like a scene out of those cheesy sci-fi movies his husband loved so much instead of a real life news story.

"I literally have no idea, but it's kind of cool, if you ignore the fact that they were killing people. Maybe Man-Bat is real after all."

"Only you would think giant mutated bats are cool Gerard, and who the hell is Man-Bat?" Frank scoffed affectionately.

"One of Batman's archenemies - _duh_ , even though in a few comics he is sort of an anti-hero, and -"

"As much as I love your nerdy comic side, please don't give me Man-Bat's whole life story right now," Frank cut Gerard off with a laugh, because he knew that Gerard could talk for days about _anything_ involving Batman, and he wanted to return to their current discussion.

"Seriously though, just think about it. What if there is an entire secret civilization of bat people that have been living on Earth this whole time?" Gerard exclaimed, obviously quite excited about this discovery.

"But why would they show their faces now, and why attack Tokyo? This is just too freaky," Frank muttered, and he was pretty sure he was going to have nightmares about this tonight.

"Don't worry Frankie, I'll protect you from the bat people. Maybe I will even make friends with them and they will turn out to be really nice," Gerard giggled to himself.

"Okay Gee, you do that," Frank muttered quietly before turning his attention back the television, hoping to find out a bit more about this strange event, but they had moved on to a story about gun laws.

Frank didn't watch the news much, he was usually barely getting home by this time, but Gerard did, and he had filled him in on the odd occurrences that had been happening worldwide. First it was a dormant volcano in Washington State that erupted violently and without warning, then it was the torrential rainfall somewhere in Egypt that still hadn't ended yet as far as Frank was aware. There were a few others, but he couldn't remember them all off the top of his head, most of them involving some sort of natural disaster, but nothing like this had happened before as far as Frank knew.

"Do you think this has to do with all the weird shit that has been going on lately?" Frank asked, breaking the silence with his nervous question.

"Honestly - I'm not sure, but I think so. It seems like the whole world is slowly falling apart, but it could all just be a coincidence," Gerard shrugged.

"But what if this starts happening _everywhere?_ " Frank began to worry his lower lip in between his teeth, something he only did when he was nervous, but the idea of mutant bats attacking his home was a cause for worry.

"Then we will deal with it, but it won't Frank, it was just a freak occurrence." Gerard scooted over so he was closer to Frank on the couch, but Frank didn't react, even when Gerard wrapped his arms around him.

"Baby, don't stress about it," Gerard cooed, pressing a swift kiss against his cheek, which finally got Frank to tear his eyes from his hands which were twisted together in his lap so he could grace Gerard with a weak smile.

"How are you not freaking out about this?" Frank chuckled softly, leaning into Gerard's hold with a tired sigh.

"Because it happened a long way from here, and the odds of anyone attacking Belleville is basically nonexistent. I didn't show it to you to make you upset love, I'm sorry."

"I know you didn't...it just seems like - _fuck_ , I don't know, like everything is spiraling out of control, and I should be able to do something about it, but I can't," Frank exhaled heavily.

"Baby - you couldn't do anything to help even if you wanted to. Everything's going to be fine, I _promise_."

"Okay - I guess I should go back to making dinner." Frank shook Gerard off gently before returning to the kitchen to finish the previously forgotten meal. Gerard followed him though, just like Frank knew he would.

"Talk to me sugar," Gerard stated simply, sitting down on a nearby barstool as he spoke, because he had learned by now not to bother Frank when he was dealing with food, he would only receive a light smack on the hand and a warning to leave him alone.

"I can't really explain it Gerard," Frank sighed as he turned the stove back on before stirring the now congealed sauce, because he really couldn't.

He just felt _heavy_ , like his heart was weighing him down with burdens he didn't understand. This was the first disaster he had witnessed with his own eyes instead of hearing it secondhand from Gerard, and it had really messed with his head. He felt like this was the start of something massive, something _terrible_ , and even though he had no idea what exactly that was, he was scared.

"Can you try?" Gerard pressed onward, and Frank knew his husband wasn't going to just let this go until he gave him some sort of an answer.

"I guess it was just seeing something like that and not having a logical explanation for why this crazy shit keeps occurring is getting under my skin. I don't like not understanding things - _you know?_ " Frank tried his best to voice some of his swirling thoughts, but even he knew that wasn't exactly the root of what he was feeling, but it was the best he could do for right now.

"I understand babe, but there is always sick shit happening in the world. War, famine, disease - this is just something we have never seen before, but the government, or _whoever_ will figure this out, and it will be fine."

"You're right, I'm just being paranoid," Frank managed to produce a real smile this time, returning his attention back to the food he was preparing instead of far off events he had no control over.

~~~

"You know you have to go to him _soon_ Brendon," Ryan sighed out in exasperation.

"I know, but not yet..." Brendon continued staring out the window of their shared room, even though all he could see was the outline of twisted clouds.

"The longer you wait, the harder you are making this on him. He will have less time to make the decision, not to mention these events will keep getting worse." Ryan wasn't letting up, and even though Brendon knew he was right, he was getting irritated with his boyfriend.

"Just give him another week _okay_ , we still have time."

"What if he says no, then we will be fucked. We have to receive his answer soon Bren, because if he refuses, we need to come up with a backup plan," Ryan pushed onward.

"He won't say no, Frank wouldn't do that," Brendon responded stubbornly.

"The old Frank wouldn't, but you don't know this new Frank. He isn't the angel he used to be; he is _human_ now, and they are selfish creatures for the most part."

"You weren't when you were human," Brendon shot back. He knew he was acting like a child, finding stupid things to argue about for no reason other than to piss Ryan off, but he couldn't stop.

"This isn't about me though, it's about _Frank_ , and the point stands that you don't know what he will do." Ryan crossed his arms stubbornly.

"I will go _okay_ , just let him have a few more days at the very least," Brendon pleaded softly.

"He has had fifteen years Brendon, and a couple more days could ruin everything."

" _Please..._ " Brendon whispered.

"Just remember that God is trusting you with this; they have already started to weaken, and if you and Billie Joe wait too long, the fate of the world falls on you," Ryan pointed out, getting up from his spot on the bed and pacing back and forth, which was something he only did when he was frustrated.

"I'm not an idiot Ryan," Brendon scoffed, and he could literally _feel_ Ryan rolling his eyes at him in exasperation.

"No, but you are sure acting like one right now." Brendon didn't have a chance to respond before the sound of the door slamming shut announced the fact that Ryan had left the room.

Brendon wanted to chase after him, but he didn't, instead, he just collapsed onto the bed with a groan. This was happening more and more: the fighting, the storming out, the nights spent alone, and he wasn't even sure why.

He loved Ryan, he _always_ would, and he knew he loved him back, but something wasn't working anymore; maybe something had broken, or maybe they just weren't trying hard enough. The stress of everything that had been happening lately had run both angels ragged, and they were taking it out on each other for some reason.

It hurt to constantly be on the defensive around Ryan, but it was the state he had fallen into, and as much as Brendon wanted things to go back to the way they used to be, it just wasn't that easy. Things had changed now that Ryan was an angel, just like Brendon knew they would, and Brendon really _hated_ change.

He wanted the _old_ Ryan back, the one who always stood by his side, no matter what, the person he could never imagine not loving, but he was gone now, or so it seemed.

He didn't want to think about his relationship problems at the moment though, because then he would end up crying, and he had bigger things to worry about besides his own fucked up love life, even though Ryan still seemed like the most important thing in the world to him.

But right now, his focus had to be on Frank, because he was the only hope for Earth's survival, and it was Brendon's job to deliver the news to him, even though he would give anything not to have to do this.

Because Frank was actually _happy_ now, and Brendon didn't want to be the one to rip that away from him. He had been watching Frank and Gerard from afar for years, and it had been so heartwarming to see the two fall back in love, just like he knew they would.

They were truly soul mates, and they didn't deserve what was coming, they should be allowed to live out the rest of their lives which each other, left alone and unaware of the supernatural world, but it hadn't worked out that way.

And as much as Brendon loathed his task, he didn't have a choice. The events spoken of in the seventh prophecy were already happening, and only Frank and Gerard could stop it from reaching its terrible conclusion.


	4. Billie Joe - The Unwilling Relationship Therapist

It was one of those rare, almost _perfect_ evenings in New Jersey, weather-wise at least. The temperature was balmy, but the accompanying breeze made it cool enough to be comfortable, and the setting sun turned the slightly rundown city into a more beautiful version of itself, the soft orange light bathing everything with its glow.

Frank and Gerard had decided they couldn't waste such a lovely night lazing around the house, which was basically all they had been doing for the duration of Frank's vacation; not that either man was complaining, but it was still nice to get out for a change.

Frank had insisted that they try out a new restaurant that had opened up about a month ago, and even though it looked a little upscale for their plain tastes, Gerard had to admit that he was enjoying the atmosphere of the place.

They had been seated on the outdoor patio, and Gerard's inner interior designer was having a slight fanboy attack over the way it had been decorated. The tables were covered in delicate white cloths, while colorful pots full of flowers were dotted along the edges of the large space, and the centerpieces gracing the tables were stunning, but it was the fairy lights draped over everything that _really_ had Gerard ogling his surroundings with a look of awe plastered onto his face.

"See, I told you it was nice," Frank smirked at Gerard, which he probably deserved. He had been reluctant to come here, pushing for iHop instead, but Frank had insisted he wanted to take him out somewhere a little more upscale, and now Gerard was very happy he had allowed Frank to talk him into it.

"Well I can't be right _all_ the time," Gerard chuckled back, pulling out Frank's chair for him before he took his own seat.

Almost as soon as they were settled, a friendly looking waiter approached them with a broad grin on his face.

"Welcome to Symphony, can I take your drink orders?" The man smiled down at them, holding his small notepad with his pen poised over it in anticipation.

"Just a bottle of champagne please," Gerard decided, because even though they weren't celebrating anything, it just seemed like the perfect occasion for it.

"I will be right back with that, and please let me know whenever you are ready to order," the waiter informed them after scribbling their drink request down and heading back inside.

"Frankie, I don't know what to get. Everything is so fancy," Gerard whined, finally pulling his gaze away from the scenery to actually try and decipher the menu. This was one reason he didn't like higher end restaurants, besides the price that is. They could make a cheese sandwich sound like the formula for nuclear fission with their habit of exorbitant word choices, and Gerard really didn't see the point in it.

"Well, a couple guys from work have been here before, and they recommend the chef's special and any of the pastas," Frank mumbled as he peered at his own menu.

Finally, after a little bit of help from their waiter, Gerard and Frank had both places their orders, and they were passing the time sipping the bubbly champagne idly.

"This is really nice," Gerard sighed out, scooting his chair closer to Frank's so he could grab his hand under the table, running the pad of his thumb over it lightly.

"I know, I don't take you out enough," Frank sighed in contentment, leaning into Gerard's side discreetly.

"You do plenty for me sugar, _fuck_ \- just you being with me is more than I could ever ask for," Gerard blushed slightly at his cheesy comment, but his head already felt a little fuzzy from the champagne, and Frank had the power to turn him into a mushy sap without any alcohol involved.

"I know...it's almost been fifteen years since I met you."

"God, I still can barely believe it has been so long. Sometimes it feels like just yesterday - _you know?_ " Gerard murmured against Frank's hand as he brought it to his lips so he could kiss his knuckles gently.

"Stop being so cute," Frank squealed quietly, which of course just made Gerard pepper his hand with even more kisses.

"Make me," Gerard winked cheekily.

"Well I can't here," Frank groaned out.

" _Exactly,_ " Gerard grinned wickedly as he moved his lips to Frank's mouth instead.

"I swear, I will slap you," Frank threatened when Gerard pulled away, but he was giggling as he spoke.

"So aggressive Frankie." Gerard didn't let up on his actions, continuing to steal small kisses from Frank, who was blushing so red, Gerard was surprised that he couldn't feel the heat emanating off his face.

"Gerard! I -" Frank was cut off mid-sentence by a deep rumbling boom, followed by the soft sounds of screams somewhere in the distance.

"What the hell was that?" Gerard lifted his head up rapidly, trying to figure out what the source of the noise had been.

"I have no idea..." Frank's eyes glanced around worriedly, but whatever it was seemed to have subsided by now.

The waiter arrived with their food right after that, and he didn't seem perturbed by whatever had just occurred, simply informing them to flag him down if they needed anything else.

"Oh _wow_ \- this is the best pasta I have ever eaten," Frank practically moaned around his fork as he shoveled a bite into his mouth, and Gerard couldn't help but grin at how cute he looked right now.

"Even better than mine?" Gerard pretended to pout, but he knew he didn't have any cooking skills to speak of; pancakes were about as far as he could get without some disaster occurring. Thank god Frank was a decent chef, otherwise Gerard would definitely be surviving on takeout.

"Yep, sorry baby," Frank grinned cheekily before digging back into his food happily.

Once Gerard took a bite of his own food, he had to admit that Frank wasn't over exaggerating, because _fuck_ \- this was good, even though he wasn't entirely sure what exactly the chef's special was.

But Gerard didn't even to get finish half of his plate before that strange rumbling sound came again, and this time, it was much closer, causing the tables to actually shake with the force of it.

"Frankie?" Gerard glanced at his husband nervously, trying to make sure that Frank had felt it too, and by the confused expression on his face, he had.

"I -" But Frank didn't get a chance to finish his sentence for the second time tonight, because another tremor wracked the area, and this was the biggest one yet, knocking down a few electrical poles in the process.

People began to panic, which was understandable. Earthquakes weren't exactly common in New Jersey, and this one seemed relatively large.

"Maybe we should go..." Gerard shifted in his seat as he spoke. From his vantage point on the balcony, he could see people running down the adjacent street, and he didn't want to be caught out in the open if anything else was going to start falling down.

"Yeah - that would probably be best," Frank agreed, his eyes roving around the restaurant in search of their waiter, but all thoughts of paying their bill were eradicated when the next wave of the earthquake hit, sending Gerard toppling out of his chair when the legs buckled underneath him.

"Are you okay baby?" Frank asked, pulling Gerard to his feet gently.

"Frank - I think we need to get out of here," Gerard whispered quietly, and it seemed like he wasn't the only one who had that idea. The entire restaurant was in an upheaval, and even though the staff was circulating around the tables in an attempt to calm people down, it didn't seem to be working.

"Should we even drive in an earthquake? Aren't we supposed to like - _fuck_ \- I don't know, hide in a doorway or something like that?" Frank asked.

"Maybe...I can't remember." Gerard grasped Frank's hand in his to give them both some comfort, and Frank squeezed it gratefully.

"Well, it seems calm now, it could be over?" Frank sent Gerard a hopeful look, but he had spoken too soon.

Just then, the ground actually rippled under their feet, the hardwood patio cracking under the strain. To his left, Gerard could see vehicles lifting into the air, coming back down with a loud crash and a blare of car alarms.

This time, it didn't stop though; the cement continued to writhe as if a giant beast was contained underneath it and it was trying to break free from the constricting concrete. Cracks appeared in the pavement, some were small, but larger ones were rapidly appearing, and even Gerard knew that this was no ordinary earthquake.

"Shit!" Frank screamed as the wood under his feet began to give way, and it was only thanks to Gerard's hand in his that he didn't fall through the floorboards.

"We need to get off the balcony!" Gerard yelled to be heard over the frightened cries of the other patrons, and Frank nodded to show Gerard that he understood him.

That was easier said than done though, because everyone else on the patio was trying to push inside all at once, effectively blocking the doors.

Instead of fighting through the frenzied crowd, Gerard tugged Frank over to the fence surrounding the open space, trying to judge if they could get down that way.

The street wasn't too far of a drop, maybe ten feet, but the sidewalk was full of people rushing by, trying to find a place of safety to wait out this disaster. The ground hadn't ceased its rolling, and it took all the balance Gerard possessed not to topple over.

"Come on baby, I'll lower you down first," Gerard motioned for Frank to step up on the shaking railing, which he did without any protest.

Once Frank had swung his legs over so he was hanging on the opposite side of the balcony, Gerard grasped his hands and slowly let Frank's body drop until he was forced to let go. Gerard watched nervously as Frank fell the rest of the way, landing on his feet safely.

"Come on Gee!" Frank shouted up at his husband, holding out his arms in encouragement as he tried his best not to be jostled by the fearful crowd surrounding him.

"Okay - _shit_ ," Gerard hissed out, hooking his feet in the wood while willing his limbs to stop shaking. He didn't like heights, and even though the drop was relatively small, he was still scared.

And just when Gerard was about to gather his courage and jump, another tremor knocked him off his feet, and he fell back onto the balcony with a painful thud.

"Gerard!" Frank screamed, trying to scramble back up to make sure his husband was okay, but he was too short to reach the edge of the railing from the ground.

Gerard was relatively unhurt, besides a minor bruise or two, but when he tried to stand up to let Frank know that, the entire patio began to crack, the wood splintering around him as Gerard scrambled backward in an attempt to avoid the largest holes.

With one last defeated groan, the balcony gave up the fight to stay together, and the floorboards collapsed inward with a crash and an explosion of dust.

~~~

"Billie?" Brendon called out softly as he entered the Holy Library. His friend hadn't been in his room, and this was the only other place he could think of to look for him.

"Back here," Billie answered in a quiet tone of voice, and Brendon followed the sound of pages turning until he stumbled upon his old friend.

"Hey," Brendon waved before slumping down in the chair next to Billie Joe, who didn't even look up from the book he was reading, but that was normal behavior for him.

"What's wrong?" Billie asked after an awkward minute of silence, and Brendon blushed lightly at how easily his friend could read his distress.

" _What_ \- I can't visit a friend without something being wrong?" Brendon tried to brush Billie Joe's concern off, because even though he was upset, he hadn't come here just to bitch about it. He had actually wanted some company that wasn't Ryan for once, and he had been so busy lately that he hadn't been spending time with Billie as often as he used to.

"You don't have to talk about it, but that doesn't change the fact that _something_ is bothering you." Billie raised one eyebrow at Brendon before burying his head back in his book as if it didn't matter one way or the other to him, but Brendon knew he cared.

" _Fine_ \- I guess it's a lot of things. It's Ryan, and Frank, and this prophecy, and I'm scared. Everything is happening too fast, and I feel like I'm losing control of my life," Brendon sighed loudly.

" _Okay_ \- well start with Ryan. I thought you two were happy?" Billie actually put his book down and gave Brendon his full attention.

"We _were_ , but I don't know; he's changed, or I've changed, and we can't even go an hour without arguing about something. I'm trying to work things out, but I am so stressed, and Ryan doesn't even seem like himself anymore..." Brendon trailed off, burying his face in his hands with a groan.

"Have you tried sitting him down and talking to him about how you are feeling? He's been given a lot of missions lately, so he is probably just tired and on edge - similar to you."

"Sort of, but he always insists that everything is fine, even though it's not. He doesn't even seem to love me anymore Billie -" Brendon cut himself off before he started crying, because he really didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his friend.

" _Brendon_ \- I'm sure he does. You and Ryan are more in love than any couple I've ever seen, _well_ , besides Frank and Gerard, and everyone goes through rough patches, you just need to stick it out okay?" Billie Joe awkwardly patted him on the back as he spoke, because even after all these years, he hadn't gotten comfortable with physical affection just yet.

"I guess...I just miss him - _you know?_ He always used to want to be around me, and we could barely keep our hands off each other when he first became an angel, but now...I don't know. It's like he came into his own, and he doesn't need me anymore, or maybe he found someone better," Brendon heaved in a shaky breath, trying to push back the unruly tears that were attempting to force themselves past his eyelids.

"I doubt he's cheating on you, and as for the rest...I - I don't know what to say Brendon. He loves you, but I am not the best with relationship advice," Billie said with a helpless expression on his face.

"It's fine, just getting it out helped a little, and I know it's not something that can be magically fixed with a few words anyway," Brendon smiled at his friend to show that he was indeed feeling a bit better.

"It's going to be okay Brendon, it's a difficult time for everyone with the prophecy looming so close and all. We just need to do our jobs and get through it, and then everything will fall into place afterward."

"Ryan thinks Frank will refuse, he says he is selfish now that he is a human," Brendon mumbled quietly, even though he wasn't entirely sure why he had brought it up. Brendon didn't believe that Frank would turn his back on the world, but he hadn't been able to get Ryan's words out of his head.

"Well - I don't think his human status has changed Frank, not from what I have observed anyway, but you do have to factor in Gerard."

"What do you mean? Gerard won't have a say in the decision, just Frank." Brendon shot Billie Joe a confused expression, but he should have known better than to doubt his friend's logic.

"Frank is a naturally kindhearted person, but when it comes to Gerard and his wellbeing, he can become slightly narrow minded. Don't forget, he started a war to save him, even though that wasn't his intention, so is it so implausible to believe that he would turn us down if he thought he was protecting Gerard?" Billie tapped his fingers against the spine of his book idly as he spoke.

"I - I didn't think about that."

"I still believe he will say yes, but we have to consider every possibility, and I think it would be wise to leave sooner rather than later. The quicker we can procure his answer, the better." Brendon could tell that Billie knew he was crossing onto delicate ground here given his hesitant tone, because Brendon had been very adamant about giving Frank more time, but that was one thing they didn't have right now, and deep down, Brendon was aware that he was only making everything worse by putting this off.

"I guess you are right, Ryan said the same thing last night before he disappeared to fuck knows where," Brendon grumbled sullenly.

"I am not trying to push you into anything Brendon. In the end, this is _your_ mission, which makes it _your_ decision when to go to him, I'm just along to help restore his memories."

"I won't wait too much longer..." Brendon sighed out, leaning back in his chair tiredly as he spoke.

"As much as you might not want to hear this, I think hiding down here so you don't have to face Ryan is almost as foolish as avoiding the inevitable confrontation with Frank," Billie Joe remarked casually when Brendon showed no signs of moving anytime soon.

"He doesn't want to see me," Brendon huffed in irritation.

"I'm eighty-nine percent positive that he does," Billie rolled his eyes discreetly, which Brendon chose to ignore.

"Just let me stay here and pout for a little while longer," Brendon pleaded, a soft smirk tugging at his lips when Billie Joe realized he wasn't going to win this argument, picking his book back up and beginning to read where he had left off instead of continuing to pester Brendon like he had half expected him to.

And even though no more words were exchanged after that, Brendon was content with the silence, because the thoughts in his head were loud enough to drown out everything else, and despite how hard he tried to sort through them, he couldn't come to a decision on anything.

He wanted to apologize to Ryan, even though he hadn't really done anything wrong, not to mention he knew he had to get this whole Frank thing over with, because dragging it out wasn't helping anyone, but he was so scared.

This was all too much, too fast, and Brendon didn't think he could deal with the pressure. He wanted nothing more than to go curl up in Ryan's arms until all his worries had melted away, but he couldn't take rejection right now, so like the coward he was, he stayed in the library long after Billie had retired for the night, wasting the hours away by trying to figure out how his life had gotten so fucked up in such a short amount of time.


	5. In Which Frank Gets Pissy At A 911 Operator And Gerard Almost Dies

"Gerard!" Frank screamed as the balcony collapsed before his eyes while he stood there helplessly, unable to do anything to stop this tragedy from occurring.

This couldn't be happening, none of this was real. Frank squeezed his eyes shut, praying that when he opened them, he would be sitting beside Gerard in the restaurant, and all of this would be some crazy hallucination brought on by too much champagne - or _something_.

But even without his sight, Frank couldn't block out the shaking of the ground under his feet, and he knew that wishing this situation away wasn't helping anyone - especially not Gerard, and if he wanted to save his husband, he had to accept this and actually do something about it.

Frank strained his ears, but he couldn't hear if his husband had responded or not over the shouts of the terrified civilians and the car alarms that were going off all over the street. The fall might have knocked him unconscious, or maybe he was buried under so much debris that his voice wasn't able to reach Frank, but either way, he was obviously in trouble.

Frantic with worry, Frank attempted to scale the wall which led back up to the patio that Gerard had been standing on, but it was sheer rock, and there were no handholds to help Frank heave his short frame upward.

Frank glanced around rapidly for something he could stand on, but it was hard to pick out individual items among the press of bodies that were streaming down the narrow walkway, and Frank had to fight to keep his stationary position as the crowd washed over him.

Tremors continued to wrack the area, and Frank knew he needed to seek shelter before something fell on him, but he couldn't leave yet, not without Gerard. His husband still hadn't emerged from the rubble, at least, not that Frank could see, and he was truly beginning to panic now.

"Help! I need help!" Frank cried out, trying to catch someone's attention, maybe that way they could lift him up so he could reach Gerard, but no one stopped. Everyone was too worried about their own safety to bother with Frank.

Frank ran a bit down the street, trying to spot a police offer, or _something_ \- anyone that would be willing to offer him some assistance, but there were no officials in sight, and Frank didn't want to waste any more time searching for someone he might never find when Gerard could be hurt...or _worse_.

Not knowing what else to do, Frank reached into his pocket with a shaky hand and pulled out his cell phone, dialing 911 as fast as he could.

"911 operator, what is your emergency?" a friendly female voice chimed out, and Frank exhaled a sigh of relief now that he was connected to another person. For a second there, he had been worried that no one would answer, and he would be left alone to try and figure out a way to save Gerard.

"I need help! I am downtown, on Main Street. There was a giant earthquake - or _something_ , and my husband is trapped. I can't get him out on my own." Frank rambled off quickly, trying to explain his situation without wasting any more precious time.

"Emergency services have already been dispatched to the area that the earthquakes have hit, but they are stretched thin because of this unexpected catastrophe. Officers will be in your location soon though, would you like me to stay on the line until then?" the lady asked in a calm manner, but that wasn't the answer Frank wanted to hear.

" _No_ \- you don't understand, I need someone here now. My husband is in a restaurant, it's called Symphony, and the balcony fell in while he was still on it," Frank explained in a snappy tone of voice, trying to make this woman comprehend how urgent his predicament was.

Frank knew that other people were hurt, and he wasn't the only one who needed assistance, but this was _Gerard_...he couldn't lose him - not like this, and he refused to give up so easily.

"I am sorry sir, but you just need to stay calm and wait. I have radioed the location to the nearest officer, but first they need to get everyone off the streets, they will begin searching the buildings when the tremors are over," the operator sighed wearily, but Frank really didn't care if he was pissing her off, because the feeling was mutual. 

"This is _fucking_ ridiculous -"

"I understand you are upset sir, but there is nothing I can do, and cursing isn't going to change that," the woman cut Frank off, and he could tell she was actively trying to tamp down her own aggravation. Getting snappy obviously wasn't working, so he would just have to try another tactic.

"Please, I'm _sorry_ \- I just can't reach him, and I have to make sure he is okay..." Frank pleaded, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet as he spoke.

"I'm sorry sir, but you will just have to wait," the woman exhaled heavily again, leaving Frank fuming. It took all the self-control he possessed not to throw his phone into the street, but he managed it.

Frank was done with this conversation; the operator obviously wasn't able to help him anyway, so he hung up the phone with an irritated sigh, running his hands through his hair in agitation.

The quaking of the earth had finally started to slow down, and the streets were mostly empty by now, but when Frank jogged back over to the site of the collapsed balcony, he still didn't see Gerard anywhere.

Fighting back tears of frustration, Frank took off down the street as fast as his legs could carry him. If he couldn't climb up this way, he would have to go through the front of the restaurant, so that was exactly what he was going to do.

There were no side streets leading the way Frank needed to go, so he would have to take the long way around. He chafed at the delay, but it was only a couple of blocks, he could make it in a few minutes if he kept running as long as there were no obstacles blocking his path.

As his feet pounded against the cracked pavement, Frank prayed that he wasn't too late - he _couldn't_ be - any other option was unthinkable.

~~~

Gerard fell through the wooden floor with a cry of dismay before landing roughly, the sudden stop knocking the air out his lungs forcefully. Planks continued to splinter and crack around him, but the pile of wood he was lying on seemed stable for now.

He needed to get up and try to climb out of here, but he couldn't move; something was pinning one of his legs harshly, and no matter how much he twisted and turned, he wasn't able to free himself.

"Help me! I'm trapped!" Gerard tried to scream, but it came out in more of a hoarse whisper instead. His throat was full of dust and debris, and talking hurt at the moment.

" _Fuck..._ " Gerard muttered under his breath, heaving his torso into an upright position so he could assess his situation.

The balcony had collapsed in the middle, but the edges were still mostly intact - probably not for long though. Each tremor that shook the earth caused the beams to wobble unsteadily, and Gerard knew he didn't have much time before the entire thing fell inward. He needed to get out of here before that happened, or else he would be crushed for sure.

That was easier said than done though; a large beam was lying across his legs horizontally, and it was buried under other debris, making it difficult to move. When Gerard tried to shift it with his hands, the entire structure creaked menacingly, and he stopped touching it in fear of bringing even more of the balcony down on top of him.

Gerard was scared - _terrified_ actually, but he was trying his best to stay calm. Panicking wouldn't help his situation at all, and he needed to keep his emotions under control if he was going to get out of here in one piece.

The wood began to shudder under him again, and Gerard squeezed his eyes shut, shielding his head with his arms as small chunks of the patio rained down around him.

"Help!" Gerard tried to call out again, and even though his voice emitted clearly this time, no one came to his rescue. The restaurant was already deserted, and Frank was on the other side of the wall, so Gerard was alone.

At least Frank was safe though, that thought calmed Gerard more than anything else. He couldn't bear it if anything happened to Frank, and even if he did die down here, Frank would be okay, and that was all that mattered.

Gerard wasn't ready to give up though, no matter how hopeless his situation seemed. Frank was out there waiting for him, and Gerard would never stop fighting to get back to his husband as long as he had breath left in his body.

So with trembling hands, Gerard shoved on the beam again, managing to move it from his knees down to his ankles before the shaking of balcony forced him to pause in his efforts. The heavy piece of wood was pinching his legs painfully now, but he was almost free - he could do this.

Twisting one foot at a time, Gerard managed to release his limbs for under the large piece of debris, losing some skin in the process, but otherwise he was relatively unscathed. Nothing seemed broken at least, and his bruises and scrapes would heal with time.

Gerard regained his feet carefully, mindful of the unstable wood he was currently standing on, but the tremors seemed to be calming down, and he hoped that the earthquake was finally over.

Now all he had to do was climb out of the pit he had fallen into, and there were plenty of beams with which to grab onto, he just had to make sure they were sturdy enough to support his weight.

Testing the closest one that he could reach, Gerard placed his foot on the broken piece of wood, and even though it creaked alarmingly, it didn't move, so Gerard swung up onto it, holding his breath as the entire structure shuddered for a moment before falling still again.

Repeating this process several times, Gerard managed to pull himself about halfway to the top, but his arms were quickly tiring, and there were fewer handholds the higher up he got. He hadn't realized how large this hole was, but it _massive_ , maybe twenty feet wide and thirty feet deep, and it was a miracle that Gerard hadn't sustained any serious injuries when he had fallen.

Pushing his exhaustion aside, Gerard forced himself to climb higher, his lungs stinging as he inhaled the dust clogged air. He was almost there, he could see the top of the hole now, and he felt a renewed burst of energy imbue his aching limbs as he inched his way forward at a faster pace.

When he placed his hand on a protruding piece of wood in an attempt to heave his weight up on it, the beam snapped suddenly, and Gerard barely had time to scream before he was falling again. This was it, he was going to hit the ground much harder this time, and he would be lucky if he didn't break his neck when he landed.

Gerard tried to grab onto something to stop his downward motion, but all he managed to accomplish was to tear the skin of his hands as they glanced off the splintered pieces of wood, and the further he fell, the more the sides of the pit sloped away from him, removing even that slim hope from his grasp.

As his body continued to descend, Gerard felt as if time had slowed down, and each foot he fell seemed to take years instead of seconds. Gerard spent his last few moments thinking of Frank, silently apologizing for leaving him alone.

Just when Gerard had squeezed his eyes closed and was trying his best to prepare himself for the end, something grabbed his arm, stopping his downward motion so suddenly that Gerard thought he had reached the bottom of the pit already, but there was no accompanying burst of pain, so that couldn't be the case.

When Gerard opened his eyes, he saw a hand wrapped firmly around his wrist, and before he had time to react, he was being hauled upward, his arm protesting as the limb was stretched painfully, but there was no way he was going to complain right now.

For a second, Gerard thought that Frank had managed to get back up on the balcony, and it was his husband who was pulling him to safety, but _no_ \- that wasn't Frank's hand, and Frank was much too short to have been able to reach Gerard; he had been almost at the bottom of the pit when his descent had been halted after all.

And now that he thought about it, Gerard realized that no one could be tall enough to be able to grab Gerard from the top of the pit, unless they had propelled down on some sort of cable, but he had been close to the surface when he had fallen, so he would have seen if anyone was around - _right?_

It really didn't matter though, because Gerard was safe, and he probably shouldn't be questioning the logistics of his rescue, but his analytical mind wouldn't shut up, and Gerard just couldn't see how any of this was possible.

Gerard tried to get a glimpse of his savior as they ascended back up to the top of the pit, but his recent fall had stirred up a flurry of dust and debris, and whoever was dragging him to safety was obscured by it. All he could discern was slender fingers and a faint outline of an arm as they continued to heave Gerard higher into the air.

The angle at which they were rising was another anomaly that Gerard couldn't seem to understand. He was being lifted straight up, as if whoever was above him was standing on the empty air over the pit, but that was _impossible_ \- maybe the clogged air was just making it seem that way.

They were almost to the top now, so Gerard stopped worrying about how this was happening. He would get to see his savior soon enough, and maybe then they could answer all the questions Gerard had running through his brain, but first he had to get out of here.

Keeping his body as still as possible so he didn't make his rescuer lose his grip on accident, Gerard continued to strain his eyes as they emerged out of the hole. It was almost completely dark now, but the last rays of the sunset illuminated the ruined balcony, allowing Gerard to just make out a man pulling him skyward - _literally_ into the sky. The strange man was suspended in mid-air somehow, that was how he had managed to lift Gerard out of the pit without having a proper foothold.

That wasn't what made Gerard's breath seize in his chest and his heart stop beating for a moment though - _no_ , it was when he finally got a good glimpse of his savior that Gerard began to realize that this was truly a miracle.

At first glance, he looked like a normal person; he had slightly long brown hair, pale skin, and almond colored eyes. He couldn't be older than twenty-five, and he was relatively unremarkable, except for the stunning wings that were connected to his shoulder blades, the appendages pumping as he continued to lift Gerard airborne and away from the collapsed balcony.

The feathers of his pinions were mostly white, with some soft gray shading twined within them, but they were coated in a grimy layer of dust, and Gerard wanted to brush them off and examine them properly, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

He couldn't be though, because when he looked down, he was definitely soaring in the air, his feet dangling beneath him lazily. Gerard's stomach dropped into his knees, and he had to squeeze his eyes shut to quell his rising nausea. Even though this was a once in a lifetime experience, Gerard was beginning to freak out slightly, and he just wanted to be back on solid ground again.

Finally, the stranger began to descend, setting Gerard down gently on the sidewalk outside the ruins of what had once been the restaurant he and Frank had been in before the earthquake struck. The building had collapsed completely, but it seemed as if everyone had gotten out before it fell inward - _thank god_.

The streets were deserted except for Gerard and his mysterious rescuer, and Gerard was eager to confront him about his wings. Maybe he was a relative of the bat looking people that had attacked Tokyo, either that or an _angel_ , but Gerard had a much easier time believing that a strange race of mutated winged creatures existed than in angels.

While Gerard had been lost in thought, the nameless man tried to slip away unnoticed, but Gerard reached out his hand and grabbed his shoulder at the last second, effectively halting his retreat.

" _Wait_ \- don't go," Gerard pleaded, clutching tightly to his rescuer as he tried to pull out of Gerard's grip.

"I have to - I shouldn't even have saved you," the man mumbled quietly, refusing to meet Gerard's eyes as he spoke.

"Why not? What are you?" Gerard couldn't decide which question to ask first, so he fired them off as quickly as he could before this stranger bolted.

"I'm _nothing_ \- just forget you ever saw me," he hissed out, and before Gerard's eyes, his wings retracted into his body, giving him the appearance of a normal human being once again, but that didn't erase Gerard's memory of the glorious pinions, and he wasn't going to drop the subject that easily.

"I just want to know, I won't tell anyone - I _promise_ ," Gerard spoke rapidly, but the sound of pounding footsteps broke through the air, momentarily distracting Gerard from keeping his hold on the strange man, and he took that opportunity to break away before Gerard could do anything about it.

"Don't let Frank know I was here," the man yelled back over his shoulder.

"Wait - _please_!" Gerard called after him, but it was too late - the winged man was already gone, and Gerard was too weak and tired to even attempt chasing after him.


	6. I Actually "Awwed" Internally While Writing This Chapter

Mikey rushed away from Gerard as fast as he dared, desperate to escape while he still could. Mikey knew if he let Gerard talk to him for a second longer, he would end up telling him everything, and he couldn't let that happen, he had already broken enough rules today as it was.

Glancing around furtively, Mikey breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't sense anyone else in the nearby area, which meant no one had witnessed his wings, except for _Gerard_ that is, but that was already one person too many.

Mikey had disregarded one of Heaven's few directives by revealing his angel nature to a human, and even though Gerard used to be a demon, he didn't remember anything about the supernatural world, and if he told anyone about this, it could be a disaster.

Only guardian angels were supposed to interact with humans, and even though Mikey happened to be one, they weren't supposed to let anyone but their charges know of their existence, but Mikey didn't have a choice. Gerard would have died if he hadn't done something, and he couldn't just stand idly by when Gerard was in danger, not when it was in his power to do something about it.

Hopefully, with all the strange tidings brought on by the rapidly approaching seventh prophecy, the sighting of a man with wings wouldn't cause too much chaos, and Mikey didn't think Gerard would go to the press with his story, at least, he _hoped_ he wouldn't.

He might tell Frank though, and that could be ruinous. Frank's memories of being an angel were already beginning to bleed through into his dreams, and Mikey was worried about what might happen if he began to remember on his own - his mind could literally break under the strain if the wall blocking his memories wasn't brought down properly.

That meant that Brendon would have to go to Frank soon - _very_ soon, or else they might lose the only hope they had of recruiting Frank back into their ranks. At least this might be the push Brendon needed to finally get this over with, fuck knows he had waited long enough.

Mikey understood why Brendon was hesitant to approach Frank though, and before today, he hadn't minded his reluctance. Frank was Brendon's best friend - or he _used_ to be, and Brendon just wanted Frank to be happy and carefree for as long as possible. Mikey wanted that same thing for both him and Gerard as well, but it was obvious that time was running out much faster than they had anticipated.

Everyone had been telling Brendon that he was putting this off for far too long, but he hadn't listened, and because of that, Gerard had almost died. The prophecy would be broken if that had happened, and it was sheer luck that Mikey had managed to rescue Gerard this time.

Well not _exactly_ luck; Mikey had made it a habit to watch Gerard with the seeing pool in his spare time, because that was the only way he could pretend that he was still a part of his life, and even if Gerard didn't remember him anymore, Mikey would always consider him his older brother.

Mikey missed Gerard terribly, but the fact that he had received a second chance at a life with Frank helped heal the hole his death had left in Mikey's heart. It wasn't sealed entirely though, and he was beginning to think it might never be.

To Mikey, it still felt like just yesterday that he had been on that desert battlefield, and he would never forget the sight of his brother's lifeless body in Frank's arms. Even though fifteen years had passed since then, Mikey didn't feel them, and he still woke up in cold sweats with that horrible image swirling around in his brain.

Mikey had tried to move on - he _really_ had, but his life was tainted without Gerard in it. The things that had once brought him joy only reminded him of his lost brother instead, and Mikey found himself pulling away from everyone to hide the hurt he was still suffering through, even Ray. They were together now, _sort of_ , Mikey didn't like to put a label on it, and he knew he didn't treat Ray as well as he should, but it was impossible for him to give his heart to someone when it was no longer intact. 

But Gerard was alive, and he was with Frank, and even though Mikey wanted to be with his brother more than anything, it warmed his heart to know that Gerard had someone who loved him as much as Frank did.

Still, it had hurt more than Mikey expected to see no hint of recognition in Gerard's eyes, but he shouldn't have anticipated anything different. Deep down, Mikey had been hoping that Gerard would know who he was, even though God had assured him that wasn't possible, but that didn't ease the sting of having his own brother view him as a stranger.

Mikey ached to speak with him again, to stay up all night discussing everything and nothing with his brother, to feel his familiar arms pull him into a hug when he needed it most, but watching from afar was all he could do now, and that was definitely better than nothing.

Mikey had been doing just that when he saw the earthquake hit, and he had rushed down to Belleville before he could rethink his actions, terrified for Gerard's safety. He had been right to come, even if God disagreed with him, and Mikey didn't regret his rash decision, no matter what consequences he received because of it. 

Turning a corner down a narrow side street, Mikey glanced around to make sure he was alone before turning himself invisible to the human eye so he could release his wings once again and take to the air, intent on returning to Heaven as soon as possible so he could convince Brendon to go to Frank before any other calamity befell his brother.

Mikey didn't know what punishment he would receive if word got out that angels were real, but he just couldn't let Gerard die, he refused to lose his brother all because of a stupid rule, and he would take whatever was given to him once he returned home.

~~~

Gerard could only watch as his winged savior disappeared down a narrow alley, his legs shaking too much to chase after him, even though he was desperate for answers to all of the questions the man's presence had stirred up.

The stranger's parting words were what really threw Gerard's brain into a flurry of confusion - _"don't let Frank know I was here"._ Why would this man care if Frank knew about him or not, and even more importantly, how did he even know Frank's name in the first place?

This was just too much craziness for Gerard to deal with right now; his head was spinning, and he didn't even know what to think. Had this creature been watching them - it made sense in a confusing sort of way, and it would explain how he had known that Gerard was in trouble, but why would he be interested in them?

He was saved from pondering it any longer though when the sound of approaching feet became louder, and Gerard glimpsed a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Turning back the other way, Gerard almost started crying when he saw Frank barreling toward him, all thoughts of winged beings temporarily pushed to the back of his mind at the sight of his husband, who was sweating and out of breath, but unharmed - _thank fuck_.

"Gee!" Frank exclaimed happily before throwing himself into Gerard's arms, nearly knocking the taller man down in the process.

"Hey sugar," Gerard smiled against the top of Frank's head as he clutched him close to his chest, finally allowing his body to relax now that he had been reunited with Frank. Even though they had only been separated for about fifteen minutes, it still felt like years to Gerard.

"I was so worried about you! Did you make it off the balcony in time?" Frank pulled back from Gerard's arms so he could meet his eyes as he spoke.

"I didn't...it fell in on me, but someone saved me. He was just here, but he took off before I could thank him," Gerard looked around one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of the stranger who possessed wings, but he didn't see anyone in the nearby vicinity.

Gerard wanted to tell Frank about what he had seen, but now that his adrenaline rush was wearing off, he was beginning to doubt himself, and Frank wasn't really listening anyway, he was too occupied with checking Gerard for any serious injuries. Also, that stranger had been adamant about not letting Frank know that he was here, and even though Gerard didn't have any reason to trust him, he wouldn't have said that if he didn't have a logical basis for it.

"These are bleeding pretty badly baby," Frank winced when he caught sight of Gerard's ankles, and the fact that he didn't press Gerard on who had helped him proved that he hadn't truly heard what Gerard had said. He would tell Frank about the winged man later - if at all, but right now, his husband was too worked up, and Gerard didn't want to add to his distress.

"They look worse than they feel, and they aren't deep," Gerard assured Frank, but now that his husband had brought his attention back to his wounds, they were beginning to sting, and he wasn't looking forward to walking home on them.

"We need to get you checked out though. Come on - I can hear police sirens down this way, hopefully there will be an ambulance with them." Frank began tugging Gerard along without waiting for an answer, and Gerard followed behind him, wincing subtlety at every step.

They only had to walk two streets over before the flashing lights of a police car appeared, and thankfully, an ambulance was parked nearby as well. The officers were currently blocking off the street, preventing anyone from entering the area that had been severely damaged by the earthquake, but when they caught sight of Frank and Gerard, they instantly rushed over.

Gerard let himself be swept over to the ambulance where they forced him to sit on the lip of the bumper while they cleaned and bandaged his cuts and scrapes. Frank talked with one of the officers for a bit; they asked him a few questions, including if they had seen anyone else trapped in the rubble, but Frank answered no, and Gerard shook his head as well when they turned to him.

The only person he had seen had been his strange rescuer, and he was probably long gone by now. Gerard ached to talk with him, I mean - it wasn't every day that a winged being swooped out of the sky, and Gerard had so many questions that would probably forever remain answered.

He _hated_ not knowing things, but he had never seen that man before, and he would have no idea how to even attempt to find him again, so Gerard was left pondering what he was, and why someone like him had bothered saving Gerard when there was probably hundreds of other people out there in similar situations to his at this very moment, not to mention the fact that he apparently knew Frank.

Gerard was snapped out of his thought process by one of the EMTs telling him that he was free to go home unless he wanted to be taken to the hospital for extra testing, which Gerard declined, even though Frank kept shooting him worried looks which Gerard pointedly ignored.

Finally, Gerard managed to convince both Frank and the EMTs that he was fine after promising about a thousand times to take himself to the emergency room if he started feeling worse. Gerard was all right though, just a little banged up, and all he wanted was his bed with Frank wrapped up in his arms - _nothing_ else.

One of the policemen offered to give them a ride to their place, and this time Gerard accepted. He may have been adamantly declaring that he was one hundred percent okay, but that didn't mean he wanted to walk all the way home. The officer was worried that their house might have been affected by the quakes, but luckily, the building had emerged unscathed.

After thanking the officer for the lift, Frank and Gerard headed inside, double checking the walls for any structural damage, but nothing seemed obviously wrong, and the sidewalk outside hadn't shown any cracks or faults like the roads downtown.

Frank hadn't let go of Gerard's hand the entire way home, not even when they had arrived safely to find their house in one piece, but it would be a lie if Gerard said he minded. Actually, Gerard needed the physical contact right now, because for a few minutes back there, he thought he might never see Frank again.

Frank must have noticed the way Gerard tightened his grip on his hand, or maybe it was just the expression on Gerard's face, but he instantly realized that his husband was upset. Encircling Gerard in his arms, Frank tugged him down onto the couch where Gerard curled up in Frank's lap with a heavy sigh.

"Ssh...it's okay love," Frank whispered soothingly, running his hand through Gerard's hair softly as he spoke.

"I thought I was going to die...and I was so afraid, but only because I wouldn't be with you anymore," Gerard whimpered, burrowing even deeper into Frank's side. He didn't want any distance between them right now.

"I know baby, I was scared too... _terrified_ actually, but you are safe now, and I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"I think an angel saved me..." Gerard murmured quietly, deciding to ignore the strange man's warning entirely, because he didn't make a habit of keeping secrets from Frank, and he knew this would continue to bother him until he got it off his chest. Peering up at Frank to try and gauge his reaction, Gerard did his best to regulate his breathing, unsure of how Frank was going to take this unexpected news.

"Like a _real_ angel, or just a good samaritan?" Frank asked curiously.

"No - he had wings Frank, and I know it sounds _crazy_ , but he literally caught me when I was falling and pulled me out of that pit. We were flying - _really_ flying, but when we landed, he just took off, like he was scared of something, and I didn't get a chance to ask him if he was an angel or not. I sound insane, but I know what I saw..." Gerard trailed off, waiting for Frank to laugh at him and his ridiculous story.

"With all the crazy shit that has been happening lately, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that angels are real too, and I like to think that there is more to this world than just humans trying to fumble our way through life. God knows I was praying hard enough to bring down a horde of angels when I saw the balcony collapse on you." Frank smiled down at Gerard who sighed in relief when Frank didn't freak out on him, although he should have known he wouldn't.

"I don't even believe in God though..." Gerard laced his fingers with the hand Frank wasn't combing through his hair, taking comfort from his firm grip. Frank was raised Catholic, and even though he didn't go to church anymore, he had told Gerard that he thought God was real in one way or another, but Gerard just couldn't see it. It seemed silly to imagine a big bearded man dictating their lives from the clouds, but after today, he was starting to rethink things.

"That doesn't mean he doesn't exist, and if you say you saw a man with wings, then I believe you. I just wish I got to thank him for rescuing you."

"He told me not to tell you that he was there...he knew your name Frank," Gerard admitted, still unsure why the stranger had felt the need to say that, but maybe Frank would understand.

"He did? That's weird...what did he look like?" Frank cocked his head to the side, looking adorably confused.

"Um...he had straight brown hair, shorter than mine but longer than yours, and light brown eyes I think...he was thin too. I can't remember anything else, I was sort of distracted by his fucking wings," Gerard chuckled, trying to bring to mind more details about the stranger, but he was coming up blank. He couldn't even recall what color clothes he had been wearing, much less any distinguishing features.

"He doesn't sound familiar...but maybe he really was an angel. I sort of like the idea that there is someone looking out for you up above."

"But how can that even be _possible?_ " Gerard groaned in frustration, trying to come up with some other logical explanation that would account for this.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I have always believed there is a higher power out there - _well_ \- actually, not always, it was only once I met you that I truly started to think that," Frank admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?" Gerard pressed when Frank remained silent for a minute.

"My entire life, I had been told by my parents and the church that God was real, but I never saw anything to back that up, so I sort of just went along with it, but then... _well_ , then you came into my world, and everything changed. I can't even explain the way I felt when I first laid eyes on you; it wasn't simple attraction, or interest - _no_ \- it was this intense rush of relief, like I had finally found what I had been looking for, except I hadn't even been aware that I was searching for it. It was almost as if I had known you before, and I wasn't whole without you, but now I am, and if that isn't a miracle, then I don't know what is." Frank smiled to himself as he spoke, and Gerard felt himself tearing up as Frank gazed at him lovingly.

"Frank..." Gerard whispered softly, too choked up to properly respond.

"So it doesn't seem too insane to me to that an angel saved you, or that he knows me or you somehow - in fact, I want to _believe_ that he does, and he is guarding you whenever I can't be there." Frank leaned down to press a soft kiss to Gerard's forehead, but Gerard leaned up so he hit his lips instead.

Gerard kissed Frank was as much tenderness as he could muster, wanting to express the words he couldn't get past his tightening throat through the pressure of his lips against Frank's.

And in that moment, Gerard managed to forget about everything that had happened today, including mysterious winged strangers that didn't want Frank to know about their presence. Frank's touch erased everything, and Gerard let himself melt against his body languidly.

All the burning questions that had been buzzing around in Gerard's head finally quieted, because Frank was right; maybe there was another world out there, but it really wasn't important. Frank was his own personal miracle, and even if he never understood what had truly transpired tonight, that would be something he could live with. He was alive, and safe in Frank arms, and that was all he needed to know.

Tomorrow, he could worry about all the odd events that had plagued him, but right now, Frank was the only thing that mattered, and he blocked out everything else for the time being.


	7. I Couldn't Think Of Anything To Write So Have Some PWP

As Gerard continued to kiss Frank slowly, he felt a rush of heat spreading throughout his entire body, and even though he had been slightly terrified and on the edge of tears only minutes earlier, now he was overcome with an unexpected bout of lust.

Frank always did that to Gerard, no matter the situation. Even during the few fights they had gotten into, Gerard would instantly forget what he had been so furious about as soon as Frank pressed his lips against Gerard's - _actually_ , most of their spats had ended in the bedroom now that Gerard thought about it.

They rarely ever argued anymore, and even though this wasn't anywhere close to a disagreement, it felt the same in a way, because Gerard was choosing to shove everything that was bothering him to the back of his mind in favor of savoring the feeling of Frank's lips sliding against his own. Gerard was done thinking about mysterious men that might be angels, or how he had almost died, and Frank had instantly sensed that, so now he was distracting him in the best way possible.

Gerard loved how he could lose himself in Frank, and that's exactly what he wanted to do right now. He didn't want to talk about what had happened this evening anymore, not when he could think of much better uses for both of their mouths than pointless chatter.

Frank's kisses were amazing, and Gerard would never get enough of the way their lips moved together effortlessly, or the way their bodies instinctively knew which way to turn to make the position comfortable for the both of them, but right now - Gerard wanted _more_.

In an attempt to make Frank understand his need without having to break the kiss and actually say something, Gerard slipped his tongue into Frank's mouth, moaning softly as Frank opened up for him.

It wasn't long before Frank's own moan sounded against Gerard's lips, his hands moving upward to tangle in Gerard's hair as he pulled their bodies even closer together. Gerard pressed himself against Frank eagerly, not wanting even an inch of space between the two of them.

When Frank pulled away for air, Gerard instantly attached his mouth to his neck, making sure to find that one spot that always had Frank gasping and writhing underneath him, and he wasn't disappointed with Frank's reaction.

Gerard knew Frank's body better than his own, which meant he knew every place that Frank truly loved to be touched; from the sensitive area on the side of his neck, to his earlobes, to the dip in his spine, to his inner thighs, and Gerard wanted to kiss every one of them right now.

Frank didn't object when Gerard pulled away from his neck so that he could remove the jacket that Frank had neglected to take off once they had arrived home, and Gerard didn't stop there. Next, he pulled Frank's shirt over his head, running his fingers over the newly exposed skin tenderly as Frank stared up at him with loving eyes.

"Come on baby - bedroom," Frank finally spoke, grabbing Gerard's hand before standing up from the couch quickly.

Gerard smiled to himself as he followed Frank into their room, taking the time to admire the red mark he had left on Frank's neck with his mouth. Gerard knew that Frank got teased at work for his numerous hickeys; his coworkers saying that Frank wasn't a teenager anymore, and that should have been a thing of the past, but Gerard loved marking Frank's skin, and Frank seemed to have no problem with it.

As soon as they entered the bedroom, Frank pulled Gerard toward him, dragging their lips together once more in a fiery kiss. It was tender and intense all at the same time, and Gerard quickly felt himself turning into putty in Frank's arms.

"Frank...I need you," Gerard whined when they both broke apart, their soft panting the only sound in the otherwise silent room.

"I know baby - just let me..." Frank trailed off as he began to disrobe Gerard, stripping him of his flannel and long sleeved shirt before dropping to his knees and slowly unzipping Gerard's jeans.

Every time Frank's fingers brushed against Gerard's bare skin, he gasped softly, and by the time Frank had gotten his own pants off, Gerard was aching for Frank already, and he hadn't even been properly touched yet.

"Come here love," Frank cooed as he dragged Gerard down onto the bed, and Gerard went willingly, letting his muscles go lax as Frank began to kiss him again.

As their tongues slid into each other's mouths, Frank clasped Gerard's hands with his own, interlacing their fingers gently as their legs tangled together in an attempt to get even closer than they already were. Gerard whined low in his throat, pressing his naked body against Frank's desperately, trying to alleviate some of the burning ache in his stomach by rutting against Frank's bare skin.

Frank removed one of his hands from Gerard's grasp, trailing the pads of his fingers down Gerard's side delicately before he slowly slipped it between them, encircling Gerard's cock in a gentle grip as he began to stroke him slowly.

The way Frank was treating Gerard had him melting under his touch, his heart was overflowing with love as Frank's mouth continued to move against his. Frank was being so caring - not that he was ever cruel or rough, but every one of Frank's actions was soft and delicate, like Gerard would break if Frank wasn't careful.

This wasn't their usual habit in the bedroom, and even though Gerard and Frank weren't what some people would call kinky, they did like their sex hard and rough, but despite the fact that Gerard was desperate for more, he was actually enjoying this change of pace.

They didn't really _"make love"_ often, but Gerard could think of no other word to describe the way he was feeling right now, and he was too overwhelmed by the sensations he was experiencing to tell Frank to hurry up and just fuck him, so instead, he laid back and let Frank take his time as he slowly explored his body, leaving hot kisses everywhere he could reach.

" _Frank_..." Gerard whimpered softly when Frank's lips brushed against his cock before he continued lower, spreading Gerard's legs slightly so he could nip between his thighs.

"Hush love," Frank murmured, but much to Gerard's relief, he reached over to the small dresser where they stored the lube.

Gerard watched breathlessly as Frank slicked his fingers up with the sweet smelling substance, his nerve endings thrumming with excitement as he waited for him to be finished. Gerard needed this, needed _Frank_ , because Frank made everything better, and as long as Gerard had him, he was going to be okay.

A soft moan left Gerard's lips when Frank finally pressed one finger inside of him, and even though his first instinct was to shove back down onto Frank's hand desperately, he kept himself still, letting Frank set the pace for the moment.

Gerard stared at Frank's face as he continued to move his digit inside of him, and he was blown away by how gorgeous Frank looked right now. His lips were swollen and his cheeks were flushed, but it wasn't just the physical aspects that caught Gerard's attention - _no_ \- it was the adoring gaze that Frank was gracing him with that had his heart fluttering in his chest.

Gerard couldn't understand how he ended up with someone as perfect as Frank, but he didn't bother questioning it - don't look a gift horse in the mouth, or _whatever_ that saying was. All he knew was that Frank loved him, that meant everything to Gerard, and he was convinced he was the luckiest guy in the world.

Gerard's train of thought was broken when Frank added a second finger, and this time, he couldn't help pushing down against Frank's digits slightly, pressing them that much deeper inside of him as he let out a soft whine. He needed more, but Frank seemed in no rush to move this along any faster.

And honestly, Gerard was slowly unraveling under Frank's tender ministrations. Every touch, every caress seemed soothing, reassuring, and Gerard couldn't remember the last time he had felt so loved and cared for, which was saying a lot, because Frank almost always made him feel that way, but right now - everything was intensified.

"God baby - you look _gorgeous_ ," Frank whispered quietly as he began to stroke Gerard's aching cock again ever so slowly.

"Frank... _I need you_ ," Gerard panted in response, his hips twitching upward into Frank's hand in time with his movements.

"Okay love - just a second."

Frank slipped his fingers out of Gerard before reaching for the bottle of lube again, squirting some into his palm as Gerard watched eagerly. Frank gasped softly when he began stroking himself slowly, and Gerard couldn't resist leaning up and placing his hand over Frank's so he could feel Frank's heat and weight for himself.

"Come here baby," Frank gritted out, pulling Gerard closer to him so he could line himself up with his entrance.

Gerard went readily, spreading his legs so Frank could fit between them as he lifted up slightly, trying to help Frank as much as possible so he could get inside of him that much quicker.

Frank gazed down as he began to push into Gerard; his pupils were blown out and his mouth hung open slightly, and Gerard wanted nothing more than to continue watching Frank, but he couldn't, not with the intense amount of sensations he was feeling right now.

Gerard was forced to throw his head back as he whined deep in his throat. Frank was moving slowly - _agonizingly_ so, but in a way, it made everything more intense. Gerard could feel every single inch that Frank gained inside of him, and the sensation of being so stretched - so _full_ \- managed to erase every single thing in the world besides Frank.

" _Oh god_ ," Gerard gasped when Frank finally stopped moving, his hips pressed against Gerard's skin as he panted heavily.

" _Fuck_ baby..." Frank muttered, his arms shaking slightly as he held himself up over Gerard, but that wasn't what Gerard wanted, he couldn't stand any space to be between them right now.

"Come here," Gerard begged, tangling his fingers into Frank's hair as he pulled him down for a messy kiss.

Frank moaned into Gerard's mouth, and Gerard echoed him when Frank pulled out slightly before pushing back into him with a little more force. Gerard already felt the familiar heat coiling in his belly, and each small movement Frank made caused his body to become wound even tighter until Gerard was forced to break away from Frank's mouth so he could cry out loudly.

"Oh god Gee - so _fucking_ beautiful, I love you so much," Frank whispered as he quickened his pace, shifting his angle just slightly, causing Gerard to let out a small scream as Frank's dick brushed over his prostate, the fire under his skin blazing into an inferno after a few short minutes.

"Frankie - _please_...don't stop," Gerard whimpered, pushing down onto Frank's cock as his body trembled wildly, his back arching off the mattress so he could keep the perfect angle Frank had found.

"I won't... _fuck_ ," Frank shuddered slightly before wrapping his hand around Gerard's leaking cock, gathering the pre-come up before stroking Gerard's length in time with his movements.

Gerard shifted his hips upward into Frank's hand, crying out softly as Frank's fingers trailed lower, cupping his balls before moving back to the head once again. Gerard's entire body felt like a rubber band, and he was so close to snapping it almost hurt, but it felt so _fucking_ good at the same time.

"Frank...I - I -" Gerard was cut off when Frank brushed his prostate again, an obscene moan leaving his mouth instead of the words he had been trying to vocalize.

Instead of trying to speak again, Gerard wrapped his legs around Frank's waist, pushing Frank even deeper inside of him in the process. Frank's body was wracked with a small shiver after Gerard's movement, and Gerard smiled to himself when he saw how close Frank was to losing it as well.

"You're gonna come aren't you Gee? I can feel it, _fuck_ \- feel you clenching around my cock. I wanna watch you lose it..." Frank gasped out, and if Gerard needed any more confirmation that Frank was close, this was it, because Frank always got insanely vocal right before he came.

"So close - I need more," Gerard answered weakly as he alternated between shoving back on Frank's dick and up into his hand which was still stroking him.

"Come on baby - _fuck_ , I want you to come for me," Frank gritted out between clenched teeth as he quickened his pace, hitting Gerard's prostate dead on with every thrust.

" _Ahh_ \- don't stop, please... _fuck_ ," Gerard cried out, and he knew he was close - so _fucking_ close. His entire body was tensing up, his chest was so tight he could barely breathe, and he was digging his heels into Frank's back so hard, he would have been worried about hurting him if he could think of anything else besides _"fuck I need to come"_.

"I can't... _oh god_ ," Frank whimpered, and Gerard could feel his rhythm faltering slightly.

Frank pushed into Gerard one last time before he came, and the feeling of Frank emptying himself inside of him sent Gerard over the edge, his orgasm hitting him like a baseball bat to the face.

Gerard cried out loudly, throwing his head back as he spurt heavily all over his chest. He could feel Frank twitching inside of him, and every small movement intensified Gerard's release until he didn't know if he could handle the amounts of pleasure his body was receiving.

Gerard's skin felt like it had split open, all of the tension from earlier had finally broken, and now he was a boneless pile of nothing but ecstasy. Gerard's legs dropped down from around Frank's waist, he was too weak to hold them there anymore, _hell_ \- he couldn't even lift his head up right now.

" _Fuck_..." Gerard whispered when his orgasm had finally ebbed and he could actually form words again.

"Yeah..." Frank chuckled softly as he pulled out of Gerard slowly, leaving Gerard to feel achingly empty now that Frank was no longer filling him up.

Frank crawled higher on the bed until he was beside Gerard, stroking his sweat slicked hair back from his face so he could press a tender kiss to his forehead. Gerard's eyes fluttered shut at the simple touch, and he almost felt like crying because of Frank's gentle ministrations.

"I love you," Gerard choked out, trying not to get too emotional, but he felt like he had to say it, even though Frank obviously knew how Gerard felt about him...they were _married_ after all.

But still, Gerard felt like he could never tell Frank he loved him enough, in fact, he didn't even think that love was a good enough word to describe the emotions he felt toward Frank. Love was applied to so many things, and it had lost its meaning somewhere along the way. How could a word which Gerard used to refer to pizza also apply to Frank, because - _yes_ , he did love pizza, but what he felt for Frank was something entirely different.

Gerard adored Frank, he need him, he depended on him, he would probably _die_ without him, and even all of that barely scratched the surface of what Gerard wanted to say, but he stayed silent, because Frank knew all of that, and a lame attempt at putting it into words would only cheapen it.

"I love you too baby," Frank whispered, kissing Gerard again, but on the lips this time.

Gerard melted into Frank's touch, and even though he knew they needed to get cleaned up very soon, he didn't want this moment to end, and Frank seemed to feel the same way.

Gerard had faced his own mortality today, and his near brush with death made him realize that any day could be his last with Frank - not that he hadn't known that before, but it had all become so much more real after this evening.

Gerard could die tomorrow, or even worse - _Frank_ could, and Gerard wanted to make the most of every moment that he got to spend with Frank, because even if there was a Heaven when Gerard died, if Frank wasn't there, it would be Hell, and Gerard couldn't think of anywhere he would rather be than right here with Frank's lips moving softly against his own.


	8. An End To Procrastination

Stretching his limbs tiredly, Frank decided it was finally time to get out of bed; his vacation was almost over after all, and he wasn't going to be able to sleep in as late as he wanted for much longer. He still had two more days though, and after the disaster last night has turned into, Frank wanted to spend _every_ second he had left with Gerard.

But when Frank reached across the bed lazily, hoping to feel his husband's warm body beside him, he was disappointed to find only air. Gerard's side was still slightly warm, which meant he must have just gotten up, and maybe he would be coming back soon. Frank hoped that was the case, because he was having a hard time convincing his limbs to function enough to pull him out of the sheets that were tangled around his legs.

Rolling over with a groan, Frank blinked a few times, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes just a bit, and that was when he noticed the television in their room was switched on, which was sort of an anomaly. Frank used to need the soft chatter of some show on in the background to fall asleep too, but after living with Gerard for a few months, Frank had gotten used to keeping it off, because Frank's habit had the opposite effect on Gerard, and when Frank found out he was disrupting his husband, he figured out how to doze off without it.

Gerard must have turned it on before he left the room to do _whatever_ he was doing - probably painting, or grabbing some food, or anything in between, and Frank had to suppress a chuckle when he saw it was set to the local news again; Gerard loved his fucking news.

The grin slipped off Frank's face when he saw what the reporter was talking about, which was the earthquake from last night, and even though Frank had witnessed it firsthand, seeing it on the screen made the whole event replay in Frank's mind, and Frank found himself afraid - _much_ more than he had been last night when it had actually been happening.

As the reporter rattled off the current casualty count, Frank cringed slightly, because Gerard had almost been one of those numbers, and if it hadn't been for whoever had saved him, Frank could have lost his husband, but that hadn't happened - _thank fuck_. It still could though...if these disasters kept happening, they might be put in danger again, and Frank didn't know how to protect Gerard from something like this.

Frank had been so scared when he had seen Gerard fall - _terrified_ actually; he had never felt so helpless as he had in that moment, and he didn't want to experience those sensations again, but what was he supposed to do - he couldn't predict natural disasters after all. _Still_ \- Frank wanted to try, especially if it meant keeping Gerard safe.

Speaking of Gerard, he happened to walk back into their bedroom right then, holding a cup of what Frank _really_ hoped was coffee, and sure enough - it was, as if Gerard had sensed Frank was awake, and he knew that he needed some extra motivation to force him out of his comatose state.

In all honesty, Frank didn't even need caffeine to convince his stubborn body to move, all it took was the sight of his husband with sleep tousled hair and a lazy grin on his face to have Frank jumping out of bed, crossing the short distance between them as quickly as he could, because Frank needed the reassurance that his husband was still here with him more than anything right now.

"Hey baby," Gerard chuckled as Frank pulled him into a fierce embrace, mindful of the mug so that he didn't cause Gerard to spill any of the liquid on the carpet, even though that wouldn't be the first time that had happened.

"I missed you," Frank mumbled against Gerard's shirt, and even though he felt sort of silly saying that - he had only woken up two minutes ago after all, seeing the news report had brought out Frank's clingy side, and he was already _pretty_ damn clingy to begin with.

"Sorry - my mom called to make sure we got through the earthquake okay and I didn't want to disturb you."

"They are safe - _right_?" Frank cut in. In all the excitement of last night, Frank hadn't even thought about the fact that Gerard's relatives lived here too, and he felt guilty for not inquiring after their well-being earlier.

Frank's own parents had moved out of state about a year ago, deciding to spend their retirement years in Florida where his father had been born and raised. Frank made a mental note to call them later just in case they had watched the news and seen the earthquake, but Frank didn't think they knew yet, otherwise his mother would have phoned him already in a panic.

"Yeah, their neighborhood was basically untouched - _thank god_." Gerard smiled softly as he held up the mug he was still clutching in his hand. "I made you some coffee - speaking of, we are almost out, so I should probably stop by the store today.

"I'll go with you," Frank offered, pulling away from Gerard so he could accept the streaming cup from Gerard with a grateful smile.

" _Really_ \- you never want to go shopping?" Gerard sent Frank a quizzical look, because it was true.

Frank _hated_ the grocery store, probably because of the summer when his parents had forced him to work at one, but Frank didn't care right now. He _really_ didn't want to be separated from Gerard, even by a few streets, and if that meant suffering through a quick shopping trip, then so be it.

"Well - I'm branching out," Frank chuckled weakly, trying to hide the real reason behind his need to be with Gerard wherever he went, but Frank should have known that Gerard would see through him in an instant.

"Is everything okay Frank?" Gerard asked, his face pulling down into a worried expression as he spoke.

"Yes...I just - after last night, I don't want to let you out of my sight. What if another quake hits while you are at the store...what if something happens and I'm not there?" Frank questioned softly, his eyes cast downward so Gerard couldn't see the fear hidden behind them.

"Oh sugar..." Gerard murmured, but he didn't say anything else, which Frank assumed to mean that Gerard was feeling the same way he was.

"I know I'm being _stupid_ , and the odds of another disaster striking again are basically nothing, but I just...I can't lose you..." Frank's voice ended on a wail.

Gerard instantly took the coffee cup from Frank's hand, setting it down on their nightstand before enveloping Frank in his arms, and much to Frank's embarrassment, he felt tears pricking at his eyes when he buried his face in Gerard's shirt.

Frank felt sort of pathetic, because he hadn't been hurt in the earthquake, in fact - it had been Gerard who had almost died, and he should be the one breaking down. Frank had been fine last night, and he wanted to keep being strong for Gerard, but right now, he needed someone to comfort him, and Gerard seemed to understand that without Frank having to actually say the words.

"Frankie...I understand - _I_ _do_. I'm nervous too, but it's going to be okay," Gerard whispered softly, rubbing soothing circles into Frank's back as Frank tried his best to hold back the sob that was currently trapped in his throat.

"I know...I'm just paranoid now, and I'm _scared_. I just keep thinking about what would have happened if that person hadn't saved you, and I feel like it should have been me, but I couldn't do anything to stop you from falling, and what if next time - someone isn't there for you?" Frank choked out, pulling back from Gerard for a second so could wipe away the few tears that had escaped past his closed eyelids.

"But Frankie - that's part of life. We don't know how long we have left, but that is what makes it more special, and even though I can't promise you that I will live forever, I can promise that if anything did happen to me, I would fight with all I had to get back to you - _okay_?"

"I know, I just - I can't live without you Gee. Those moods I get in...when I'm so sad I can't function...I know that is what every day would be like without you, and - I guess it just hit me today how close I was to losing you," Frank sniffled quietly.

"I don't know what to say to make this better Frank, but I'm still here, and I'm okay, so please don't worry about the future, because we don't know what's going to happen, and even if we did, we can't change it," Gerard sighed, and Frank could hear the tinge of frustration in his voice - not frustration at Frank, but at this situation, and the fact that he didn't have a solution, because Gerard always liked to fix things, but he was right when he said there was nothing they could do to assuage Frank's fears, he would just have to push them down as far as he could for the time being.

"You are right, and I know I can't protect you from everything, no matter how badly I want to. I'm sorry for being so emotional." Frank smiled weakly, trying to pretend that everything was fine now, even though it _really_ wasn't.

Just then, a soft beep filled the room, and Frank recognized it as his phone going off. Frank reached for the device so he could glance at the new message, assuming it was simply his mother checking up on him, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"Oh shit..." Frank exhaled heavily when he caught sight of a text from his boss, and even though Frank should have been expecting this, he wasn't prepared for it at all.

Holding the phone out so Gerard could read the message, because he could tell without looking at him that Gerard was practically _oozing_ curiosity, Frank groaned to himself as he watched Gerard's eyes dance over the few lines of the text, his expression falling as he absorbed the words.

_"Hey Frank...the skydiving center got hit by the quake - hard. The planes are badly damaged, even the landing pads are cracked, so until further notice, you are on a permanent vacation - along with everyone else._

_We won't get an estimate for the damage until Monday, and hopefully after that we will have an idea when we can reopen, but it doesn't look good._

_I'll stay in touch."_

"Frankie...I'm so sorry," Gerard whispered.

"My job...what am I going to do if they don't reopen? I can't go back to flying commercial planes...I just _can't_ ," Frank mumbled softly, leaning into Gerard's side for comfort as he spoke.

"It's gonna be okay baby, we will figure this out," Gerard assured Frank, and even though Frank couldn't see how this could possibly be okay, he wanted to believe Gerard more than anything.

"But what about money?" Frank asked in a timid voice, because Frank hadn't planned on being so suddenly unemployed, and even though they had a savings fund, it wasn't as well stocked as it should have been.

"Well...I'm sure they will pay you whatever vacation time you still have left, and that should last us a little while. I can start painting more often, maybe do a few showings and stuff, and if worst comes to worst, my parents wouldn't mind helping us out."

"Yeah...I guess you are right, _still_ \- this fucking sucks. I loved that job," Frank sighed.

"They might be able to reopen love, we don't know anything for sure yet," Gerard smiled. His positive attitude was affecting Frank, and he found himself grinning slightly as well.

Because even though Frank was devastated about not being able to fly for the foreseeable future, he felt a small spark of joy unfurling in his chest when he realized that this meant he would get even more time with Gerard, and in his current mood, that was almost enough to offset the fact that he no longer had a job.

"Okay - I won't panic, not yet anyway." Frank wasn't sure what they were going to do if the skydiving center stayed closed for longer than a few months, but he knew that Gerard would help him through this, and they would be okay, even if Frank had to work at McDonald's for the time being.

"Well why don't you get dressed and we will go to the store, it will take your mind off things for now," Gerard suggested.

"I'm not sure if shopping is going to successfully distract me Gee," Frank scoffed playfully, but he did down his coffee quickly so he could start getting ready to leave.

"I'll make it interesting - I promise," Gerard winked, sending Frank into a fit of unexpected giggles.

And although this moment was nothing special, Frank was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming rush of love for his husband, because even though he should be upset right now, or worried, he _really_ wasn't, because Gerard had managed to cheer him up just by being there for him, and Frank was okay with the fact that he didn't have a job, because he _did_ have Gerard, and in the end, that was all that really mattered to him.

~~~

"You are going Brendon - _tonight_ , I don't care if I have to drag you down there myself," Mikey seethed, his wings fluttering around him in agitation as paced back and forth in front of his friend.

"I thought you were banned from Earth for a year?" Billie Joe asked calmly from his seat in the corner of the room, but he instantly shut his mouth when Mikey sent him a furious glare.

"Well it's Brendon's fault that I'm banned, because if you had gone to Frank earlier, Gerard wouldn't have almost died," Mikey scoffed angrily, causing both Brendon and Billie Joe to shift uncomfortably in their seats.

Mikey threw his hands up in the air when the two angels remained silent, trying his best to resist the urge to smack them both in the face until they saw sense. Their reluctance to go to Frank was becoming ridiculous, and now that it had put Gerard in danger, Mikey had made it his personal mission to convince them that they had no more time to waste.

Mikey was already paying for their inaction; God had been displeased with his jaunt down to Earth to save Gerard, even though they weren't nearly as furious as Mikey had expected them to be. Even though God hadn't specifically said it in so many words, they had seemed pleased that Mikey hadn't sat back and let Gerard die - not that he ever would have done that, and Mikey's punishment hadn't been as severe as it could have been, even though it still fucking sucked.

Mikey would have to refrain from his guardian angel duties for a year now, which was the position he had chosen when he had changed races. Mikey had instantly been drawn to the task, because he knew what it was like to need someone there to watch over you; he would have killed for a guardian angel when he had first lost Gerard, but now he had a chance to save those who were suffering just like he had been not too long ago, which was the greatest job in the world in Mikey's opinion.

At least he didn't have any current charges because of the upcoming apocalypse. _Still_ \- even with other things to occupy his attention, it would be hard to know that he couldn't help a single soul for such a long span of time, and Mikey blamed Brendon for that entirely.

As soon as Mikey had left his audience with God, he had stormed off to unearth Billie Joe and Brendon from where they had been hiding in the library, and Mikey wasn't leaving them alone until they agreed to go to Frank, no matter how long it took them.

Mikey had pleaded God to force them into this, because it was obvious that the apocalypse was almost upon them, and if they didn't do something soon, the world would end before Frank and Gerard had the chance to save it, but God was forbidden from interfering as well. Anything that was prophesied was beyond their control, but that didn't mean that Mikey couldn't try to do what God could not.

Mikey was just so frustrated, because he didn't understand what Brendon was waiting for. Mikey knew that Brendon was reluctant to drag Frank and Gerard back into the supernatural world, but it was obvious that being human wasn't safe anymore either, and in Mikey's opinion, they had a better chance of survival if they would just revert back to the original forms.

"It isn't just Brendon's fault Mikey...it's mine too, and we are sorry. I didn't know that the Leviathan was so close to the Jersey Shore...if I had, I could have predicted the quakes, but it's gone dormant for now, and they should be safe for a little while longer," Billie Joe apologized, but that wasn't good enough for Mikey. He had almost lost his brother for the third time, and there was no fucking way he was going through that hell again.

"What the hell is wrong with you two - do you not give a shit that Gerard would have died if it wasn't for me? What if I hadn't been watching him in the seeing pool just then - what if he _did_ die? The prophecy would be broken, and we would be _fucked_ , and I -" Mikey cut himself off when he felt tears welling in his throat, because there was no fucking way he was going to start crying right now.

"I understand you are upset Mikey - _I_ _do_ , and we will keep a better eye on Gerard and Frank...but Brendon wants to wait for a little while longer...and -"

"I'll go," Brendon finally spoke up, not lifting his gaze from where it had been firmly fixed on his lap for the past few minutes.

"I - _what_?" Mikey furrowed his brows when Brendon's words sunk in, because he had expected more of a fight from the angel, and his easy win had caught him off guard.

"You are right...I'll go to him - tonight."


	9. Gerard Stuffs Melons Down His Shirt And Frank Turns Into Rambo

"I don't understand how you haven't been banned from this store by now," Frank chuckled lightly, bags full of groceries weighing his arms down as he and Gerard walked over to their car.

"Well it's not like I do that stuff when I'm alone, but I promised to make it interesting for you, and it's not as if anyone else noticed," Gerard smiled back, and Frank had to admit that the shopping trip had been very entertaining, if not also slightly embarrassing, because contrary to Gerard's words, _quite_ a few people had witnessed his ridiculous behavior.

Gerard was determined to make Frank laugh at every possible opportunity during their quick jaunt to the grocery store, which had involved everything from him stuffing melons down his shirt in the produce department to him riding the cart down the aisles like a five year old, and honestly, it had been _exactly_ what Frank needed right now, all public embarrassment aside.

Because being with Gerard and having him act like his goofy self had set Frank's nerves at ease, and the fact that no natural disaster had struck while they were out had helped as well. This area hadn't been damaged by the earthquake very much, and Frank could almost pretend like nothing bad had ever happened - _almost_.

But even though there weren't any physical signs of what had occurred yesterday, it was still noticeable that _something_ had in the way that there was hardly anyone out and about, which was probably a good thing given Gerard's antics, but _still_ \- it was odd to see the usually bustling shopping center so devoid of life, even though it didn't seem to be bothering Gerard any.

Gerard hadn't even commented on the lack of shoppers, or the hurried way everyone had been bustling about as if the quicker they got home, the less chance of another tremor hitting would be, and even though Frank had been tempted to bring it up, he didn't want to upset his husband at all, so Frank had kept his mouth closed and pretended like this was just another day, because Frank _wanted_ it to be, so why ruin the illusion?

Frank expected Gerard to be more torn up about yesterday than he was, and honestly, he was surprised that Gerard even wanted to go out in the first place, but Gerard was nothing if not unpredictable, and even though Frank knew him better than anyone else, he still couldn't read the man completely.

Frank wondered if Gerard was just covering up his fear with his joyous mood, and underneath it all he was still terrified, but it didn't seem that way. Gerard appeared genuinely happy, and Frank was more than willingly to push his own worries to the background and enjoy this time with his husband.

Frank needed to get over this sooner rather than later anyway, because if another disaster _did_ strike, they would be no safer in their home than anywhere else, and Frank wasn't crazy enough to build a bomb shelter or something like that, so he would just have to keep living the way he had always done before he almost lost Gerard.

Gerard had promised after all, he had _promised_ to find his way back to Frank no matter what, and that had always applied to the both of them, even before yesterday, so Frank decided he was done with his troublesome thoughts then and there, because he had no reason to worry as long as Gerard was by his side, and Gerard seemed to feel the same way if his actions were anything to go by.

And that in itself was enough to make everything okay in Frank's eyes, because Gerard was his rock, and if he was still smiling, and giggling, and acting as if everything was perfectly normal, then that was good enough for Frank, and the world could crumble down around him as long as Gerard was still standing in the aftermath.

"Come on, let's go get some coffee," Gerard suggested gleefully.

"We just bought some coffee at the store, why don't we go home and make some?" Frank rolled his eyes dramatically, because even though he liked coffee, he didn't understand how Gerard could drink so much of it in one day - _seriously_ , he was probably immune to caffeine by this point.

" _Yeah_...but you know it's never as good as the stuff from the cafe," Gerard pleaded, giving Frank those puppy dog eyes that really weren't fair to use on any occasion, because Frank just couldn't say no when Gerard was looking at him that way.

" _Fine_...we can go get coffee," Frank agreed with mock reluctance, hiding his smile as Gerard's eyes lit up at his words, but Frank couldn't keep the expression off his lips once Gerard began tugging him toward the car like an overexcited child.

It turned into more than coffee though, not that Frank was really complaining, because he would never turn down spending time with Gerard under any circumstances, but after Gerard had dragged him to the record store, and the movies, with a quick stop into an art supply shop so Gerard could get some canvases to start working on more paintings, Frank was thoroughly exhausted, and he had never been so happy to sink under the covers and let his eyelids fall shut as he was that night.

~~~

Frank awoke out of a deep sleep with a start, groggy and disoriented, but also on edge, and even though he had no idea why he was awake at three in the morning for no apparent reason, he couldn't seem to shut his eyes again, no matter how hard he tried.

Glancing around warily, Frank tried to find the source of whatever had woken him up, but he was coming up with nothing. Maybe it had been another dream, but Frank didn't feel the way he usually did after a nightmare - this was _different_ somehow, but Frank just couldn't place his finger on the elusive sensation.

Gerard didn't seem to be sharing Frank's restlessly, and he barely stirred when Frank sat up, his eyes roving around the room nervously. Frank didn't know what he was looking for, but it almost seemed as if something else was in the room with him besides his husband that is; an unfamiliar presence that had Frank's skin tingling uncomfortably even once he had ascertained that there was nothing sharing the small space with them.

When a soft bump sounded from the hallway, Frank jumped violently, all of his senses on high alert, his heart beating painfully loud in his chest as he strained his ears in the hope - and also _fear_ \- of hearing anything else.

Frank was clueless about what could have made the sound, and even though it was probably something innocent like a picture falling off the wall, Frank's mind instantly jumped to the worst case scenario, which was that there was an intruder inside of their home.

As quietly as he could, Frank crept out of bed, heading to the nightstand which held a rarely used gun Frank had insisted they keep in the house for exactly this purpose. Frank wasn't a great shot, and this wasn't like being at the shooting range, so he had no idea if he could actually manage to hit something - or _someone_ -if there actually was a thief, but hopefully the mere sight of the weapon would scare away whoever was out there - if there was even anyone there.

Frank tiptoed to the doorway, glancing back at Gerard warily as did so. Frank wanted to wake his husband up, because he was _really_ fucking scared, and he needed his support right now, but Frank was even more terrified of making any unnecessary noise, and he would never forgive himself if Gerard got hurt trying to protect him.

 _No_ \- this was something Frank had to do on his own, and even though his limbs were shaking, he forced himself to move out into the hallway, toeing the door closed behind him to conceal the sleeping Gerard from view.

Frank didn't immediately see anything; nothing seemed out of place, and there was definitely no masked man snooping about, or _whatever_ burglars looked like, but just when Frank was about to turn around and head back into his bedroom, he heard another noise, this time coming from downstairs.

Frank froze in place as he tried to decide what to do; he could either continue his investigation or go back into his room and call the police, and even though the second option seemed much more logical, Frank found himself wanting to make sure that there was actually something sinister inside the house before he brought the law into this.

So against his better judgment, Frank inched down the stairs, his hand which was still gripping the gun was now slippery with sweat, but Frank forced himself to ignore it, instead, concentrating on being as silent as possible so he wouldn't give himself away.

When Frank poked his head around the banister, he wasn't sure what he was expecting to see, but the sight that met his eyes was definitely not it, and Frank found himself blinking numerous times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating or something else just as insane.

But when the two people seated calmly at Frank's kitchen table didn't disappear, Frank was left confused and scared, because if this was a robbery, it was the _weirdest_ fucking heist he had ever seen - _seriously_ , the two men weren't even moving, and they were acting as if this was their house instead of Frank's.

Frank wasn't sure if the intruders had noticed him or not, he was still standing on the bottom step of the large staircase, and neither of them had moved or spoken that he could see, but it wasn't like Frank was exactly hidden, and the slightest turn of either of their heads would bring Frank into their line of sight, so if he was going to make a move, it had to be now.

"Get out or I'll shoot," Frank shouted, making a rash decision to throw himself into the strangers field of vision with the gun raised high, hoping he managed to look _somewhat_ intimidating and not like the midget Rambo wannabe he currently felt like.

Frank had no idea why he hadn't retreated back to the relative safety of his bedroom once he had confirmed that this was indeed some sort of break in, but seeing the men in his home had caused his protective side to rear its head fiercely, and Frank wasn't thinking practically right now, he just wanted these men gone before they did anything to hurt Gerard.

"Hello Frank," one of them spoke, and even though it was hard to make out their features in the dim light, there seemed something oddly familiar about the two men, even though Frank couldn't place where he knew them off the top of his head.

One had messy black hair and bright eyes, while the other kept his brown locks pushed back from his face, highlighting the pair of square glasses perched on his nose, and they were both smiling at Frank in what he assumed was supposed to be a reassuring manner, but it was anything but - _actually_ , the entire set up came off as eerie and unsettling to Frank's mind.

"Who the fuck are you and what the hell are you doing in my house?" Frank tried to make his voice threatening, but he failed miserably and it came out in more of a startled croak instead.

"I know we've scared you Frank, but please put the gun down and we'll explain why we are here," the one wearing glasses suggested, but there was no way in hell Frank was going to do what he said, even if he did somehow know his name, which was a frightening piece of information that Frank was too nervous to inquire about.

"How about you tell me now, and then I will decide if I should shoot you or not?" Frank threatened, tightening his grip on the gun aggressively to hide the shaking of his hands.

"We really should have gone about this a better way," the black haired man whispered to his companion, causing the other to shrug helplessly.

" _Okay_ \- well Frank, I know you have no reason to believe me, but you know us - _actually_ \- knew us would probably be a better way to phrase it. I'm Brendon, and this is Billie Joe," he gestured to the black haired man eagerly, but those names didn't ring any bells in Frank's head, and even if they did know Frank somehow, it didn't give them the right to break into his house in the middle of the night.

"I think you guys have the wrong Frank..." Frank stuttered out, completely thrown off by this odd situation, and while he was distracted, Billie Joe darted up from his seat and snatched the gun out of his hands.

Frank braced himself for pain, because he could only assume that this Billie Joe was going to turn Frank's own weapon against him, but instead of shooting Frank, he simply placed the gun on the table before sitting back down as if nothing had happened.

"We don't Frank, and we can prove it, you just have to give us a chance," Brendon pleaded, gesturing for Frank to sit down, which he did, but only because he wasn't sure how much longer his legs were going to hold him up.

"I just want you to leave..." Frank murmured quietly, because the more these two spoke, the slight spark of recognition inside of Frank grew, and it seemed like he did know them somehow, as if their words had placed some sort of spell over him, but Frank didn't want to listen to them anymore, except he sort of _did_...

"We can't leave Frank, not until you hear us out," the one named Billie Joe finally spoke up, and even though a part of Frank was curious about what was so important that it warranted a break in, he knew it really didn't matter, and they were probably just waiting for him to let his guard down, or _something_ , and then they would kill him, even though why they hadn't done that already was a mystery to Frank.

"Then start talking," Frank sighed, faking compliance for the moment, but as soon as Brendon scooted back in his seat slightly, Frank made a jump for the gun, successfully managing to get his hand on it before either of them could react.

"Frank _please_ \- just make this easy on us and put the god damn gun down," Brendon warned, but Frank was done listening to these two lunatics, and he was going to do what he should have in the first place, which was get the fuck out of here and call the police as soon as possible.

"Gerard!" Frank screamed, hoping his husband would hear him so he could phone the authorities while Frank was otherwise occupied, but Frank was met by only silence.

"He can't hear you Frank," Billie Joe groaned, holding his hands up nervously to show Frank that he wasn't going to try something like last time, but Frank wasn't falling for any more of his tricks.

"What do you mean...what the fuck did you do to him?" Frank growled, his early hesitance gone completely now that Gerard was being threatened, and Frank actually took the safety off of the gun and put his finger back on the trigger, ready to fire at any moment.

"Nothing Frank - Gerard is _fine_ , I promise. I simply soundproofed the room so we won't disturb him okay -"

Billie Joe was cut off by a loud bang, because Frank had lost all control over himself, and his terror over having his home invaded had reached a breaking point. He had to make sure Gerard was okay, and even though a small part of Frank knew that there was no way that either of the men could have done anything to Gerard in the short time Frank had left him alone, the rest of his brain was screaming at him that something was horribly wrong.

" _Fuck_ \- Frank wait!" Brendon called out after Frank, but he was already darting up the stairs, desperate to get back to Gerard, and his phone, not even bothering to glance behind him to see if his shot had hit Billie Joe or not.

But Frank didn't even make it halfway to his room before something collided with his skull, knocking his feet out from under him. Frank collapsed at the top of the landing, and even though he attempted to crawl away from his attacker, blackness was already overtaking his vision. Frank's last thought before he passed out was a prayer, a silent plea to whoever was out there to watch over Gerard, to protect him where he had failed, and then everything went dark.


	10. Then Frank Saw His Wings - Now Frank's A Believer

Frank awoke to darkness and an aching head, and for one blissful moment, he forgot what had happened, and how he had ended up here, wherever _here_ was, but when he tried to bring his hands up to clasp his throbbing temples, he found them tied behind his back, and everything came rushing back: the break in, the strange men, the gunshot, then _nothing_.

Casting his eyes upward, Frank caught sight of the two men from earlier, both of them peering down at him with a worried expression on their faces, which seemed very out of place since they had been the ones to hurt him in the first place, but Frank had already decided that they were both sick in the head, so nothing they did would probably make any sense.

Frank noticed that they both seemed unharmed, which meant that his impromptu shot hadn't hit its target, but Frank was actually glad for that. As much as these men had wronged Frank, he wasn't sure how he would feel if he had killed someone, although he might not be in this situation now if he had managed to, but there was nothing he could do about that now.

"Where the fuck am I?" Frank groaned, because he couldn't see much, all he could ascertain was that he was outside, the damp grass that was pressing against his bare arms attested to that fact, but Frank didn't recognize his surroundings at all.

"A field, I'm not quite sure where, it doesn't matter," the one named Brendon spoke up, kneeling down beside Frank so he was level with Frank's eyes.

"Where is Gerard - is he okay?" Frank asked, his arms twisting violently as he tried to escape his bonds, the worry over his husband making him frantic and slightly sick.

"He's fine Frank - he's still asleep at home, I promise," Billie Joe stated in a soothing tone of voice.

"How can I believe you?" Frank whimpered, all of his fight from earlier draining out of his body when he realized there was absolutely nothing he could do to save himself from whatever fate these two had planned for him.

"You can't, but if you just hear us out, I swear that I will take you back to him." And even though Frank had no reason to trust these men, he was out of options at the moment, and he didn't think they were going to hurt him - not yet anyway, the lack of visible weapons gave him some hope of that.

"Okay - I am going to untie your hands now, but only if you don't run. It won't help anyway, there is no one around, and we will catch you." Billie Joe arched one eyebrow as he waited for Frank's response, which came in the form of a sullen nod.

Once the ropes binding Frank had fallen away, he rubbed his wrists softly, trying to alleviate the burning pain that had come from his thrashing about. Moving slowly, Frank regained his feet, peering suspiciously at the strange men who stood before him.

"First of all, we are so sorry for doing this to you, but we never meant to scare you," Brendon apologized, earning himself an obnoxious eye roll from Frank.

"Well you fucked that up royally - _seriously_ , how the hell did you think that breaking into my house and then kidnapping me wasn't going to freak me out?" Frank scoffed, crossing his arms together to try and ward off the chill in the air.

"I know - I wasn't thinking, and I needed to talk to you as soon as possible, so I didn't have time to wait for a better opportunity, and you will understand everything soon," Brendon continued once Frank had finished speaking, and even though Frank was really pissed off at this guy, he sounded honest, _urgent_ even, and Frank was really getting curious about what the hell he so desperately wanted to tell him.

"So spit it out, I'm listening, and the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can take me back to my husband - right?"

"Yes...okay - so um, this is going to sound crazy, but just try and keep an open mind. First of all, do you remember either us at all, even a little bit - do our names seem familiar?" Brendon asked, which wasn't how Frank had expected him to start off, but whatever, this guy was fucking psycho, and if Frank wanted to get out of this alive, he would have to play along.

"Uh...no, I don't think so," Frank shrugged, because even though he did feel a tiny spark of something that might have been recognition when he first saw them, it had faded now, and no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't recall ever meeting the two of them before in his life.

"Okay...well how about this, are you religious Frank?" Billie Joe cut in, and even though Frank was getting seriously confused by the route of these questions, he knew that trying to figure out the logic behind their words would be a waste of effort.

"Sort of, my parents are, and I believe in something, I'm just not sure what," Frank answered truthfully.

"Well - do you believe in angels?" Brendon continued, leaving Frank struggling with what to say.

"I - I don't know...maybe?" Before Gerard's near death, Frank most likely would have said no, but he couldn't deny that someone had saved Gerard that day, and it might have been an angel, no other explanation made sense.

"What would you say if I told you that Billie and I are angels?"

"I would say prove it," Frank chuckled, because even if angels did exist, there was no way these two assholes could claim that title.

"Billie, can you release your wings?" Brendon asked, and the black haired man stepped back with a nod, his eyes trained on Frank's face as he did so, which had an expression of cynicism plastered on it.

These men were obviously delusional, and even if they did truly believe they were angels, Frank didn't, and he doubted whatever they showed him would change his mind on the matter, but he would let them put on their little act.

But even though Frank was skeptical, he couldn't deny the sight that unfolded before his eyes, because glorious white appendages had spread from Billie Joe's back, the feathers fluttering in the air as they curved around his body protectively.

Frank gasped aloud, watching in a mixture of wonder and fear as Billie Joe spun around, allowing Frank to see the rips in his shirt where the wings had torn through, the pinions connecting to his shoulder blades seamlessly, and even though Frank's brain was screaming at him, saying this was a trick, or an illusion, he knew that these were real, and that this man somehow possessed wings.

And really, it wasn't too crazy once Fank took a moment to process what he was seeing, not considering everything that had been happening in the world lately, and if winged bat creatures could attack Tokyo, then why couldn't angels be walking amongst humans, even though why they had decided to break into Frank's house and bring him to this empty field had yet to be explained.

"Frank?" Billie Joe spoke up quietly, and it was only then that Frank realized he had been standing there with his mouth agape for a good five minutes.

"I - I don't understand...if you are angels, why are you here, and what do you want with me?" Frank stammered out, his heart beating painfully loud in his chest as he continued to gaze at Billie Joe's wings longingly, his mind imagining what it would be like to glide through the air on those magnificent appendages.

"This is where it gets confusing...but you just have to trust me, because you knew us once Frank, you were one of us before, and now...now we need you back," Brendon explained in a shaky voice, and even though Frank was much more inclined to listen to them now that they had provided viable proof to back up their claims, he was still caught off guard by this new information.

"What - are you saying I was an angel...that's _crazy_ , not to mention fucking impossible," Frank gasped, his hands gesturing wildly as he spoke.

"It's not, and we can help you remember, but you have to agree to let us restore your memory, or else it will hurt...well, hurt more than it already will," Billie Joe sighed, his wings disappearing back into his body after he flexed them one more time.

"I can't remember something that didn't happen. You have got the wrong guy, I'm Frank Iero, and I'm human okay - I haven't died, so I can't be an angel... _right_?" Frank protested, his head spinning as he tried to comprehend the strange situation he was currently in.

"You are human now, but you have died Frank, you have actually lived three separate lives. Your first life ended quickly, a car accident at a young age which transformed you into an angel, but you chose to become human again when...something terrible happened," Brendon trailed off awkwardly, leaving Frank to wonder what he had been about to say, even though this all sounded like a bunch of bullshit.

"If that's true...why can't I recall any of that?"

"Because your memories were taken from you Frank, but we can give them back, and then this will all become clear to you," Brendon begged, his eyes pleading with Frank to agree to whatever he wanted to do to him, and if it got Frank back home to Gerard, he was up for _almost_ anything.

"Why is it going to hurt?" Frank asked his final question, because even though he wanted to get this ordeal over with, he wouldn't be surprised if these guys wanted to cut into his brain or something like that, and wings or not, Frank wasn't ready to trust them completely just yet.

"Billie Joe will remove the barriers in your mind that prevent you from recalling your past, but not all of the memories are good, and having them come back all at once will be painful, but if you try and accept them instead of fight them, it will be over soon," Brendon assured him, but his face carried a worried cast, and Frank wasn't entirely convinced.

"Okay, so he just does some mental voodoo and I remember?"

"It's just a touch, he won't physically harm you, and once it's done, you are free to go home whenever you want," Brendon promised, and the thought of being back in Gerard's arms was enough to make Frank nod his head in agreement.

"Wait -" Frank called out when Billie Joe stepped closer to him, "you said the angels need me back...but you never said why."

"I will explain all of that once this process is finished, it will make more sense if I don't have to walk you through everything," Brendon promised.

"Okay, let's get this started then," Frank sighed, keeping his eyes fixed on Billie Joe as he approached him hesitantly, as if Frank was a wild animal that might bolt at any moment.

Once he was directly in front of Frank, Billie Joe lifted his hand, and Frank eyes widened as his index finger began to glow a light shade of blue, cementing Frank's belief that there was something otherworldly going on here, and these weren't simply two crazy men who were convinced that they were angels, although the sight of Billie Joe's wings had pretty much made Frank a believer already.

"Just close your eyes and let the memories flow through you, don't resist, and it will all be okay," Billie Joe murmured, the pad of his glowing digit pressing against Frank's forehead gently as he spoke.

So Frank did as he asked, and for a few brief moments, nothing happened, and Frank had to hold back a hysterical chuckle at his own stupidity, but then he felt something, a strange tingling in the back of his mind, and he could almost physically hear the supposed barrier cracking, crumbling down under the pressure of whatever Billie Joe was doing to him.

"Stay calm Frank." Billie Joe's voice seemed to come from a great distance, but Frank still heard him, and he did his best to loosen his tense muscles and let whatever was about to happen take effect.

" _Ahh_..." Frank hissed loudly as a bright wash of pain erupted in his skull, his eyes popping open to make sure that Billie Joe hadn't stabbed him in the temple while he had been unaware, but Billie Joe wasn't even near him anymore, both supposed angels were standing a few feet away, gazing at Frank with fear in their eyes.

"Frank...keep your eyes closed, _please_ \- it will help," Billie Joe spoke up, and before Frank had a chance to answer, another rush of agony flowed through him, and he was forced to squeeze his eyelids shut again, as if that would keep the pain contained somehow.

"It hurts - _fuck_ , make it stop," Frank pleaded, his knees given out under the next wave of pain, his body falling to the dew covered grass in an awkward heap.

"Push through it Frank, look for the memories, let them come back," Brendon called out.

And _yes_ \- now Frank was starting to see things: a younger version of himself with different parents, a girl... _no_ \- a girlfriend named Jamia, dreams of a band, college, then a crash, blood pouring down his head, then nothing.

The scene shifted suddenly, and then Frank was in Heaven, at least, that's where he assumed he was. Frank was surrounded by winged beings who were striding down grand hallways, and his own back sported glorious appendages, and then Frank was flying - not in a plane, but on his own, his wings pumping powerfully behind him as he took to the skies eagerly.

More visions flashed by, and even though Frank could hear himself screaming in agony, he was lost in the memories that had been obscured from him for so long, and the pain he was feeling was dulled by the act of remembrance. The strangers hadn't been lying, Frank was an angel, in fact - they weren't strangers at all now.

When Gerard's face popped into his head, Frank gasped aloud, because it was Gerard, but it wasn't; he had long red hair, not to mention black wings, and then Frank remembered, Gerard was a demon, a demon Frank had tried to kill but had somehow fallen in love with along the way.

The timeline continued to move forward, and Frank wanted to weep as he experienced his and Gerard's first kiss, their first ' _I love you's',_ their first everything, and now Frank understood why he had always felt so connected to Gerard, because they had a past, they had fallen in love before, and even though they were human now, their love hadn't been broken by their change in race.

But then his memories began to take a darker turn, a war between Heaven and Hell took place, Gerard was kidnapped, and _fuck_ \- it hurt, even though Frank knew Gerard was safe at home in their bed. Frank felt the terror and helplessness he had experienced back then, and even though he tried to separate himself from the emotions his old persona was feeling, Frank found himself lost in the past.

Frank's body convulsed wildly as the flood of memories slowed slightly, a battle scene now playing in Frank's mind, and it seemed somehow more familiar than all the rest, as if Frank had seen this before. The pain flowing throughout his body increased with each passing second, and even though Frank wanted to remember, something inside of him didn't want to see this.

Frank gasped in pain and despair as the memory changed to finding Gerard, his body broken and bruised by Lucifer's cruelty, and even though they ran, they couldn't escape the King of Hell, and Frank's pathetic attempts at fighting his way out of the situation failed miserably, leaving Frank with a broken wing and Gerard with a knife pressed against his throat.

And even though Frank knew this couldn't be the end, because he _obviously_ wasn't dead, and Gerard wasn't either, it sure as hell seemed like it was. His heart was breaking as he tried to wrack his brain for any way to escape the hand fate had dealt them, but it was a memory, and nothing Frank did would change it.

Then it happened, and Lucifer slit Gerard's throat. Both the Frank in the past and the current Frank cried out loudly; the identical screams of anguish splitting the air with their intensity, the fiery agony that had been plaguing Frank the entire time rising to an unbearable level. It was too much, Frank couldn't take this, it hurt - it hurt so _fucking_ bad - _oh god_...

"Gerard!" Frank yelled, his hands flying up to clutch at his hair in an attempt to drag the horrendous memory out of his brain; it wasn't working though, _nothing_ was, and Frank was forced to relive Gerard's funeral, the nights spent weeping alone, _everything_.

"Help me," Frank begged, reaching out for Billie Joe, or Brendon, _anyone_ really. As long as they could stop this torment, Frank didn't give a fuck who they were.

Bile rose in Frank's throat, and he found himself vomiting noisily, tears streaming down his face as the memories kept going, but Frank couldn't focus on them anymore, he kept replaying Gerard's death in his mind. It was on an endless repeat, and Frank wasn't sure if the pain he felt was mental or physical, but either way, Frank was convinced that whatever this was would kill him soon.

"Just hang in there Frank, you're almost there," someone said, maybe Brendon, but Frank couldn't tell who, and it didn't matter, because despite what they said, Frank was sure that this torment he was enduring was never ending, and he would die before the memories finally released their hold on him.

"I - I can't..." Frank whimpered, his arms collapsing weakly underneath him, the pictures assaulting his brain growing grainy and fuzzy, and then finally, it was _over_ , and Frank gave in to the oblivion of unconsciousness, Gerard's still face the last image he saw before everything went dark.


	11. Shit Is Really Starting To Go Down Now

Frank groggily opened his eyes for the third time that night, if it was even still dark anymore, he wasn't quite sure, because somehow he had ended up back inside his house, his body stretched out on the couch in the living room, and even though every instinct in Frank's body was screaming at him to go check up on Gerard, any tiny movement sent hot waves of pain surging into his skull, and walking seemed borderline impossible at this point.

Letting his eyes fall shut once again in the hopes of alleviating his pounding headache, Frank tried to process what was happening to him, because now he remembered, _fuck_ \- he remembered everything; the memories of his old life had sprung back into the forefront of his mind, filling the gaps that had been left behind, and he finally understood so many things about himself that had previously baffled him.

His intense attraction to Gerard was no longer strange and storybook worthy, because they had met before, they had fallen in love before, so even though he hadn't remembered him, his subconscious somehow had, and that day in the library made so much more sense now, but that wasn't the only thing that was cast in a new light thanks to Frank's forgotten past.

Frank's love of flight was explained as well, not that he ever thought that was odd or strange, but now that he knew he had once been an angel, a being capable of soaring through the air whenever he wanted, his adoration of airplanes and the sky was now revealed as his attempt at relieving something that Frank couldn't even recall experiencing before today, but now that he could, he knew that nothing would ever compare to the sensation of having the wind in his wings.

But the answer Frank had been most desperately searching for lay in the one memory he did not want to acknowledge, and that was Gerard's death; that was why Frank suffered from what he had thought were random bouts of desolation, but they were anything but random. They always started on the day that Lucifer had taken Gerard away from him, and even though Gerard was now alive and well, Frank knew that the fear of losing Gerard would reside in his chest forever now that he remembered what life was like without him.

Knowing that he had to face Brendon and Billie Joe sooner rather than later, Frank forced his eyes to open again, letting out a soft groan so the two angels would be aware that he was now awake. Frank heard the shuffling of footsteps approaching his prone form, and even though it hurt, Frank forced his head to turn slightly to the right, bringing Brendon into his line of sight.

"Frank - _thank fuck_ , I was so worried about you. God had warned us the process would be painful, but I never thought it would be that bad," Brendon heaved out a sigh of relief, his hands fluttering at his side nervously as his eyes raked over Frank's body.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you cracked my skull," Frank chuckled weakly, slowly bringing himself into a sitting position despite his protesting muscles.

"So...did it work, do you remember?" Brendon asked softly, a look of guarded hope crossing over his face as he waited for Frank's answer.

"Yeah...I do - _fuck_ , I can't believe I ever forgot, but that was the condition of becoming human right, I had to lose my memories if I wanted to be with Gerard again?" Frank questioned his one-time friend, trying to test out how accurate his recollection of the past was.

"Yes, at least, that's what God told us, you disappeared without even saying goodbye, which I am still slightly pissed about by the way," Brendon laughed in a teasing manner.

"Oh god, I did...didn't I, but God said it had to be that way, and I couldn't pass up on a chance to be reunited with Gerard, I am sorry though," Frank apologized, his head spinning wildly as he tried to comprehend everything that was going on.

"It's okay, it's not like I wouldn't have done the same if it was Ryan..." Brendon's face fell when he mentioned Ryan's name, but before Frank could question him about it, he had continued speaking. "It doesn't matter anyway, because all we wanted was for you to be happy again, and you were anything but that without Gerard, believe me - I would never have bothered you two if the situation wasn't so dire."

"Where is Gerard, is he still upstairs?" Frank asked, even though he had one thousand other questions swirling around in his head, but Gerard was always his first priority, and he had to make sure he was okay.

"Yeah, he's still sleeping, you can go check on him if you want, but you can't wake him up just yet," Billie sighed heavily, his gaze sliding away from Frank's when he tried to make eye contact with the angel.

"I trust you, but I am confused...you said you needed my help, and you went through all this trouble to restore my memories, so why not give Gerard's back as well?" Brendon twisted in his seat uncomfortably, and Frank wanted to reach out to place his hand on his shoulder, that's what he would have done fifteen years ago, but things had changed now, and Frank wasn't sure if Brendon would appreciate the gesture.

"It's complicated, and I still don't understand everything entirely, but from what God explained to us, your memories were still in your mind, they were simply suppressed by your human nature, and even before we came, some of them were bleeding through the wall that kept them from you, but Gerard's situation is different; he _died_ ," Frank flinched slightly at hearing that fact spoken out loud, but he nodded for Brendon to continue when he shot him a concerned look, "so all of his memories were lost when he was restored as a human. Billie Joe would have nothing to bring back for him, only God can restore what he has lost."

"Okay...I guess that makes sense, but where is Billie, and how much power does he have? I know about the experiments he went through, but he seems stronger now than when I last saw him, or maybe that was just my human impression of him." Frank was honestly getting overwhelmed by the amount of information he was in the dark on, but it was to be expected with his extended absence from Heaven - _still_ , there was so much that Frank didn't understand, and he felt as if he could continue to pester Brendon for years and he would still be left out of things.

"Billie's resting in the other room, unlocking your memories took quite a bit of his strength, and _yes_ \- he has grown more powerful. We finally understand what the archangels were trying to do with him. Not long after you left, we discovered their secret files - they were trying to make an angel with abilities akin to God's, a God that they could control, and Billie was their greatest success. We still don't know the extent of what he can do, but it's mind boggling, and he learns more every day."

"That's incredible," Frank breathed out, his neck craning in an attempt to see around the door frame, but he couldn't spy Billie from his sitting position, and he wasn't ready to move just yet. 

Frank was tempted to ask about the archangels that had illegally experimented on his friend, wondering if they had ever been captured after running from Heaven all those years ago, but Brendon was already talking again, so Frank kept quiet, he doubted they had managed to evade the might of the garrison for very long anyway. 

"It is, Billie has been an amazing asset lately, and fuck knows we need all the help we can get," Brendon mumbled, leading Frank into his next question, even though he was already ninety-nine percent positive that he knew the answer already.

"So, the reason you need me now...it's the seventh prophecy isn't it? I remember Billie saying it was about Gerard and I; that is why all of these disasters are happening - _right_ , it's here?" Frank whispered softly, his body shuddering slightly despite his best efforts to hide it.

"Yes, I'm so sorry Frank, we waited as long as we could, but without you and Gerard on our side, we are doomed to fail. These occurrences are only the beginning, the Leviathan hasn't even truly awoken yet, but when it does, the world will end unless you and Gerard can save us."

"Wait - the Leviathan, that's what is causing all of this...I thought it was dead, didn't Michael cast it down into the sea ages ago?" Frank exclaimed, his brow furrowing as he wracked his brain in an attempt to pull up all the information he had learned about the mighty beast.

The Leviathan had terrorized the earth in its early days back when Heaven was still young and humans had yet to discover the marvels of fire, but the archangel Michael had smitten the creature with his infamous sword, at least, Frank thought that is what had happened, but maybe the beast hadn't truly perished after all.

"I was under the same impression, but according to God, Michael wasn't able to slay the beast, he only rendered it helpless, trapping it under the ocean for what he hoped would be forever, but it's regaining consciousness, and if that wasn't bad enough, it's bringing all sort of strange creatures back to the surface with it," Brendon sighed, and Frank was slightly terrified at how helpless he appeared. Even during their darkest moments together, Brendon had never allowed his fear to seep through, which showed Frank how desperate their current situation truly was.

"So...those bat creature that attacked Tokyo, they weren't some strange demons - were they?" Frank hadn't gotten a very good glimpse of them on the television screen, but now that he had his memory back, he knew that he had never seen anything like them before in all his years as an angel.

"Apparently they are another old race, a mix between demons and dragons that came about after a failed experiment of Lucifer's which he named wyrens; they are uncontrollable and blood thirsty, even Lucifer couldn't get them to follow his orders, but soon they will be the least of our worries."

" _Fuck_ \- this is bad, I - I don't know if I'm ready to carry all of this responsibility," Frank groaned, his head falling into his hands as he tried to understand all of this new information, ignoring the soft spike of pain that traveled up his spine at the sudden motion. 

"You aren't alone Frank, we will be with you every step of the way, and you can say no; if you want me to, I can have Billie erase your memories again and you can live out the rest of whatever time the world has left with Gerard," Brendon offered, his arms wrapping around Frank in a friendly embrace.

"God - I want to, but I _can't_ , I won't let innocent people die because of my selfishness, and Gerard would say the same thing," Frank heaved out, tears pricking at his eyes as he relaxed into Brendon's touch.

"I knew you would say that, but _fuck_ \- I wish there was another way," Brendon murmured against Frank's shoulder.

"Bren - the prophecy spoke of a sacrifice, do you know what it was referring to?" Frank asked softly, even though he didn't want to know, because the answer couldn't be good, and it wasn't like Frank had much of a choice in the matter either way.

"I - I don't, not for sure, and maybe it doesn't mean a person, maybe it's something else, but no one has been able to decipher it yet, not even Billie." Frank tried to detect any hint of omission in Brendon's voice, but all he caught was fear and regret. He didn't think Brendon would lie to him, especially if it had something to do with his or Gerard's death, but it had been so long since Frank had spoken with Brendon, so he wasn't an expert at reading him anymore.

"Okay - _so_...what happens now?"

"We take you back to Heaven so you and Gerard can be transformed back into an angel and a demon, only God can do that, and their power is weakening as the prophecy grows closer, so they chose not to make the trip to Earth. Once they change you, they will most likely be out of commission until the events of the prophecy have been completed, but they have given us a few hints. You and Gerard must retrieve the sword of Michael, that is the only way to defeat the Leviathan, so we simply have to unearth it before it's too late." Brendon smiled weakly, trying his best to make it sound as if this would be an easy task, even though Frank knew it would be anything but.

Having God taken out of the picture would make everything that much harder, but that was the way prophecies worked; they were predestined events, which not even God could interfere with, so when they came close to completion, God became weak and powerless, removing any chance they had of turning to them for anything besides advice.

"When do we leave?" Frank sighed, because even though he had a million more questions to ask Brendon, he also needed space to think, and he wanted nothing more right now than to curl up in Gerard's arms for a few hours until everything sunk in a bit.

"That is up to you, I know you need time with Gerard, and you are going to have to give him some sort of explanation about this, which is going to be hard without his memories, but I'm sure you will think of something. When you are ready, just call my name, and I will escort you both up to Heaven."

"I - okay, yeah, just give me a day or two... _fuck_ , I have no idea what to tell Gerard," Frank laughed sourly, because trying to explain what was going on to his husband could only end badly, but Frank had never lied to him before, and he knew Gerard would be able to tell that something was wrong the instant he laid eyes on him.

"It will all work out Frank, he trusts you, and knowing Gerard, he will do anything you ask of him, no matter how crazy it sounds," Brendon assured him, and in all honesty, he was probably right, even though that fact did nothing to make Frank feel better, _actually_ \- it caused a spike of guilt to shoot throughout his entire body, because even though this wasn't his fault, Frank felt as if he was dragging Gerard into what could be a life threatening situation without his consent, and _fuck_ \- Frank wished there was some way to protect Gerard from all of this.

"And there is no chance that I can do this alone, without Gerard...I - I don't want to put him in any danger," Frank whimpered quietly, even though he knew that Gerard was a part of this too, the prophecy had mentioned both of them, but _still_ \- it didn't hurt to ask.

"I'm sorry Frank, but without Gerard, we won't be able to defeat the Leviathan. We need the two of you working together if we have any hope of success, and he wouldn't be that much safer on Earth, not with the way the world is right now." Frank nodded weakly in response, because Brendon did have a point; Gerard had almost died the other day, and there was no way Frank could leave him vulnerable and alone, that would literally _kill_ him.

"Okay - can I go see him now, I promise I will call for you soon, I just need a little bit of time," Frank sniffled, wiping away the few tears that had managed to escape down his cheeks.

Frank wasn't even entirely sure why he was crying, but it was mostly because he was overwhelmed and scared, and not for himself, but for _Gerard_ , and as hard as he tried to stay positive, the image of Gerard's bloody body kept flashing before his eyes, and Frank was well aware that it could become more than a thing of the past, that could soon be his future as well, even though he would do everything in his power to save Gerard from whatever was out there waiting for them.

"Of course, I need to return to Heaven soon anyway, Billie will recover better up there. I will be listening for your call, and Frank - it is good to have you back...I've missed you." Brendon pulled Frank in for one last quick hug before striding away, leaving Frank to ascend the stairs to the bedroom he shared with Gerard alone, walking slowly in an attempt to keep his head from jostling about any more than absolutely necessary.

Part of Frank wanted to call out to Brendon, because he had thought up some new questions in the few seconds they had been separated, but Frank kept silent, unsure if his mind could handle one more piece of information tonight - or today... _whatever_ , and in a way, he needed to distance himself from the angel for right now.

As happy as he was about being reunited with his friends, Frank really needed some space to get used to all of this, to come to terms with his old life, and it was hard to do that with his one-time best friend standing beside him, so he continued his trek down the hallway, pushing open the door to the room he had left Gerard in earlier that night.

All thoughts of Brendon, and the future, and how scared Frank was flew out of his head when he caught sight of his husband sleeping soundly in their bed, his black hair splayed across the pillow wildly, his body curled around Frank's usual spot as if he was just waiting for him to come back.

Frank idly glanced at the alarm clock on their dresser, and he was shocked to realize that it was barely five in the morning. It had only taken two hours for his perfect life to fall apart completely, even though it seemed as if years had passed since he had heard the sound that had driven him downstairs in the first place.

Needing to feel the comfort that he could only sense when he was in Gerard's arms, Frank crawled onto the mattress gently, doing his best not to disturb Gerard with his motions, finally lying down with his arms wrapped firmly around his husband's stomach.

Gerard instantly nuzzled into Frank's chest, a soft sigh of contentment escaping his lips as Frank began to stroke his hair gently. Frank felt even more tears forming in his eyes as he held his husband, because this was the last night of their normal lives, and even though Frank knew the world needed him, all he wanted to do was stay here with Gerard forever.

But that was the coward's way out, and there was no way Frank could ever be that selfish. He would have Gerard with him at least, and even though whatever was to come would be dangerous, Frank knew he could make it through it with Gerard at his side, and maybe once this was all over, they would be granted peace again, and it was that thought that allowed Frank to drift off, his head falling onto Gerard's shoulder as sleep overtook his aching body.


	12. Gerard Likes Frank's Spit Almost As Much As Coffee

Even though Frank was exhausted, he couldn't seem to stay asleep for long; his mind was churning with the surplus of old memories that Billie Joe had restored to him, but most of all, it was _worry_ that was keeping Frank awake, _fear_ that refused to let his eyes stay closed for more than a few minutes at a time.

The words of the seventh prophecy of Joshua swirled around in Frank's head, taunting him with their obscure nature and all the what ifs they brought with them.

_Nature dawns clear and bright_

_Two worlds separate_

_All starts to fall_

_Gold is tarnished and darkness comes_

_-_

_When gold becomes stained_

_Darkness hides light_

_One choice to make_

_Disaster or new life_

_-_

_Can gold reveal light_

_Can darkness polish gold_

_True love can renew all_

_Or destroy every living soul_

_-_

_When they unite_

_A chance will arise_

_One final stand_

_One sacrifice_

_-_

_Two becomes one_

_Or two can break_

_This is the end_

_Or is it the beginning?_

So much more was clear now than it had been when Frank had first heard it, but that wasn't enough, Frank needed to know what was going to happen so he could walk into this with his eyes wide open.

It was a pointless effort though, because if anyone could unearth the prophecy's true meaning, it was Billie Joe, who wasn't here any longer, and Frank had a feeling that he would keep the information from Frank even if he did know.

And really, Frank knew _enough_ , but that one damn line was seared behind his closed eyelids, and the implications of it were making Frank want to throw up.

_One sacrifice_

But maybe Frank was overreacting, maybe no one had to die, which was all he could assume the word sacrifice meant, but maybe _this_ was his sacrifice, giving up his perfect life with Gerard to save the world, and if he made the right choice and returned to Heaven, everything would be okay in the end.

But maybe not, maybe one of them would have to give up their life, but Frank wasn't getting anywhere with this train of thought, and all he was accomplishing was to make himself sick with worry. Once he and Gerard were restored to their original states, Billie would be able to tell if either of their deaths were in the near future, Frank would just have to pry it out of him first, if he could find the courage to that is.

Exhausted with his never ending musings over the things that he couldn't change, Frank slipped out of bed cautiously, making sure not to disturb Gerard, even though he shouldn't have bothered; he could probably start jumping on the bed and Gerard would simply roll over and try to go back to sleep.

Feeling grimy from last night's escapades, Frank decided to take a shower. He still smelled slightly like vomit, and maybe the soothing sensation of water pouring down around him would help Frank relax.

Unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case, and even though his muscles began to loosen up under the heated stream, his _mind_ didn't, but Frank wasn't really surprised. He had regained an entire lifetime worth of memories all at once, so it was only natural that his brain was working overtime in an attempt to process them.

Frank wasn't getting anywhere thinking about the past though, and he should really be more worried about the _present_ , especially what he was going to tell Gerard, because he couldn't just blurt out the whole truth, but Frank couldn't really lie to him either; he was always painfully obvious when he tried, and Gerard could pick up on the tiniest omission.

Frank didn't know which route would be the best to take, but he didn't have a lot of time to plan this out, and no matter what he said, Gerard was going to be confused. Frank truly wished that there was some way Gerard could have regained his memories of his old life as well, but apparently that was impossible, and that left Frank to try and fumble his way through this fucked up situation to the best of his ability.

Sighing loudly in frustration, Frank shut off the tap, grabbing a dry towel to wrap around his soaked body, making a mental note to take the pile of used towels down to the laundry room sometime today, but then he remembered that he wouldn't be living here for much longer, and if everything went as planned, he would be in Heaven by tonight, so laundry was no longer important.

Throwing on a clean shirt and boxers, Frank crawled back into bed, pressing his damp hair against Gerard's bare chest, listening to the gentle sound of his heartbeat. Frank felt his worries instantly soothing as he timed his breathing with his husband's, because no matter what happened in the future, he would have Gerard with him, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it stayed that way.

"Hmm..." Gerard mumbled sleepy as he attempted to turn over, but Frank's weight on his torso prevented him from moving very far.

"Baby, you awake?" Frank asked eagerly, desperate for his husband to wake up so he would no longer be alone with his thoughts.

" _No_...go away..." Gerard groaned, pushing against Frank's arm weakly in a way that Frank could only describe as adorable.

"If you get up, I'll make you coffee," Frank promised, hoping that Gerard's love of caffeine would overcome his drowsiness.

"I don't believe you," Gerard huffed, causing Frank to giggle at his grumpy continence.

"Ugh...you big baby," Frank teased, decided to simply get up and brew the coffee anyway. Gerard wouldn't be able to resist once he smelled his favorite beverage, and it wasn't like it was that early; Gerard usually got up around nine to work on his paintings, and it was already eight-thirty, so Frank didn't feel bad for his persistence.

Heading downstairs quickly, Frank loaded the coffee maker with Gerard's brand of choice, chewing on a muffin as he waited for their drinks to be finished. Pouring the coffee into two mugs, Frank carefully made his way back to the bedroom, because their carpet really didn't need any more coffee stains.

"Baby?" Frank called out as he nudged the door open with his hip, setting Gerard's coffee down on the nightstand when he realized that Gerard had already fallen back asleep, his face smothered by a pillow and his ass up in the air. "I kept my end of the deal, now get up lazy," Frank giggled, poking Gerard's side in the one spot that Frank knew was especially ticklish.

"I don't wanna...you go to sleep," Gerard whined.

"Oh come on Gee, it's not even that early," Frank pleaded, ceasing his actions when Gerard opened one eye blearily, and even though Frank could tell that Gerard was trying to glare at him, he didn't look very intimidating with his hair all messed up and sleep clogging his hazel irises.

"Not that earlier my ass," Gerard argued back, but he did sit up, snatching Frank's cup out of his hand with a soft chuckle before taking a sip.

"I made you your own jerk, but whatever, have fun drinking my spit."

"I like your spit, it adds to the flavor," Gerard giggled, sticking his tongue out at Frank before burying his face back in the coffee mug. "Seriously sugar, why the hell are you up at this hour?" Gerard asked when he had finished off his drink, his eyes gazing at Frank's cup longingly, causing Frank to cradle the mug against his chest protectively.

"I was having problems sleeping," Frank sighed, which was the truth, just not the entirety of it, but starting this conversation with ' _two guys broke into our house last night, but it's okay, apparently we used to know them in our other lives when I was an angel and you were a demon_ ' probably wasn't the best idea.

"Aw baby...was it the dreams again?" Gerard was instantly on edge, scooting closer to Frank's side so he could clasp Frank's hand in his.

"No - actually, _just_...I have a lot on my mind."

"Do you want to talk about?" Gerard pressed gently, a worried expression crossing his face as he eyed Frank up and down subtlety.

" _Yes_...but I don't know where to start." Frank groaned in frustration, tugging at his hair as if that would help his brain think of a logical way to explain this. Frank had been so eager for Gerard to wake up so he could get this newfound information off his chest, but now that the moment had arrived, he wished he could put it off for just a little bit longer.

"You know you can tell me anything Frankie, I won't get mad..." Gerard promised, and by the fearful look on his face, Frank could tell that his husband was already jumping to the worst possible conclusions, probably something like Frank cheating on him, even though Frank would never even consider that, but Frank being unfaithful was much more believable than what he was about to reveal, and he knew the way Gerard's mind worked.

"Okay...so -" Frank stammered out, lacing his hand though Gerard's as he tried to decide where to start. He knew he had to hurry up and explain himself soon before Gerard began panicking; he was already worrying his lower lip in between his teeth, which was a nervous habit he had when he was particularly anxious.

"Fuck Frank - just spit it out before I have a heart attack," Gerard whined, his fingers tightening around Frank's until the contact became borderline painful.

"Well, it's not _bad_ \- I mean, not _really_ , so stop looking at me like I'm going to leave you okay?" Frank chuckled weakly at Gerard's surprised expression, but he should have known by now that Frank had become an expert at telling what Gerard was thinking. "It's more crazy than anything else, and I don't know how to explain it without sounding like I've lost my mind."

"Just say it, and if I don't believe you, you can prove it to me," Gerard shrugged, and Frank really wished it was all so simple, but Gerard was right, even if he didn't take Frank seriously, he could have Brendon and Billie Joe show him their wings when they arrived; that had been enough for Frank to stop doubting them, so it should work for Gerard.

"Okay...just try and keep an open mind." Frank took a deep breath, bracing himself for whatever Gerard's reaction would be. "So what would you say if I told you I knew why all the strange natural disaster are occurring, and not only that, but I knew a way to stop them?" Frank decided not to dive straight into everything all at once, because maybe if he eased Gerard into this, he would be less skeptical when Frank told him he used to be an angel.

"I...I would be confused, but I would want to hear your theory," Gerard played along with what he believed was a hypothetical situation despite the look of confusion that passed across his face.

"And what if I told you that it wasn't the earth shifting, or some scientific shit, but it was actually a mythical creature called the Leviathan?" Frank continued with the what ifs, gaining himself some more time as Gerard pondered his question.

"I - I don't know, but I think that would be pretty freaking cool," Gerard smiled weakly. Frank should have known that would be Gerard's response, he was the one who wanted to make friends with the killer bat people who attacked Tokyo.

"So you remember how you thought that person who saved you was an angel?" Frank pressed, throwing Gerard off with what seemed like a random subject change, but hopefully Gerard would understand soon enough.

"Uh - _yes_...but what does that have to do with anything?" Gerard questioned, his brows furrowing as he tried to comprehend where Frank was going with this.

"Okay - this is where things are going to get really fucking weird, but what if I told you that I was an angel too...or - I _used_ to be at least."

"Can angels even become humans, I mean - wouldn't you turn into an angel when you died, or are you saying all humans are angels before they are born somehow?" Gerard was trying his best to play along with Frank, but Frank could tell that Gerard was completely lost.

"That's the thing, I did die before, this hasn't been my only life, and it's not yours either - you can't remember it, but I can, and you have to trust me on this, because now Heaven needs us back, and without us, the world is going to end," Frank stumbled over his words, his heart pounding in his chest as he gazed at Gerard, waiting for him to say something, but Gerard simply stared at Frank with a bewildered expression.

"Sugar...are you sure you didn't just have a really vivid dream?" Gerard asked tentatively, his hand reaching up to graze Frank's forehead gently, presumably checking for signs of a fever.

"I know you don't believe me, and honestly - I wouldn't believe me either if I were you, but I'm not making this up Gee. Two angels came to me last night, they restored all of my memories, and now everything makes sense. Remember how we had this connection between us the moment we met, well - it is because we knew each other before, we fell in love already, we just couldn't remember it - _fuck_ Gee, it explains everything, even my weird emotional fits, and although I'm scared, I'm also so fucking _relieved_ , because I'm not mentally unwell, or whatever, I was just experiencing old emotions."

"Okay...I still don't understand Frank, I mean - I like the idea of us meeting before, that's actually pretty fucking poetic, but if you can remember all of this now, why can't I? You said I was an angel too right...so where are my memories?" Gerard spoke slowly, and Frank could almost see the cogs in Gerard's brain turning rapidly as he tried to give Frank the benefit of the doubt.

"You - you weren't an angel Gerard, you were a demon, but you weren't evil or anything; apparently the way you die determines whether you end up in Heaven or Hell to some extent," Frank explained, tears swimming in his eyes when he recalled how Gerard had ended his first life, because he had glossed over it initially, but now the fact that Gerard had killed himself began to sink in, and even though Frank hadn't known Gerard before he became a demon, the thought of him taking his own life still fucking hurt.

"How...how did I die?" Gerard nudged Frank gently, snapping him out of the past and back into the present.

"You...you killed yourself, I don't know why exactly, we didn't talk about it much, but that made you a demon, and I was charged with eliminating you, but I couldn't, and we ended up falling for each other instead."

"And what about you, how did you die before?" Gerard seemed less dubious now, and Frank was ecstatic over the fact that Gerard was taking this seriously and that he hadn't tried to commit Frank to a mental hospital - not _yet_ anyway.

"I was in a car accident, I was killed on impact." Frank's memories of the crash were fuzzy, and he really didn't remember too much from that particular night, but he assumed that was because it had happened so long ago, so he didn't really have much else to explain to Gerard on that front.

"Okay, so you are telling me that two angels gave you back all of your memories, but now we need to go back to Heaven with them, and for some reason, I won't be able to remember my old life...is that because I am demon - or is it something else?"

"It's because - because our situations are different, not just our races. I was still alive when I got changed into a human, so my memories were easily accessible, or something like that, but you..." Frank trailed off, his throat closing up as tried to ignore the vivid pictures flashing across his brain.

"I died...again?" Gerard finished Frank's sentence for him, waiting for Frank's nod to affirm his assumption. "So...will I ever remember my old life?"

"Yes, but not until you see God, they are the only one who can restore your lost memories," Frank sighed heavily, silently thanking Gerard for not asking how he had died a second time, because Frank wasn't ready to recount that specific memory out loud.

"I - I don't know what to think, but honestly, I know you Frank, and there is no fucking way you could make up this good of a story unless it was partially true, but - I am a bit skeptical," Gerard finally spoke up after a few minutes of silence, during which Frank had squirmed uncomfortably as Gerard stared off into space.

Frank was shocked at how well Gerard was taking this; he had expected Gerard to laugh in his face and tell him to go back to sleep, but Frank should have known that if anyone would believe this crazy, seemingly fictional tale, it would be Gerard. Frank couldn't even count how many times Gerard had whined about real life being boring, and wouldn't it be so cool if he could live in one of his comic books, so his acceptance of this whole situation made sense.

"Fucking hell Gerard - I love you so fucking much," Frank grinned widely, tackling Gerard to the bed as he wrapped his arms around him, his joy at Gerard's open-mindedness causing him to be overly affectionate.

"I love you too sugar," Gerard giggled against Frank's chest, "but if this is all really happening, then what do we do now?"

"Now we get ready to leave, and then I will call my friends, the ones who gave me back my memories. They want to take us to Heaven tonight if you are ready, and don't worry, once they get here, I will make them do some cool angel stuff, because I can tell you are still humoring me."

"I'm sorry Frank, I really want to believe you, and I'm _trying_ , but it all sounds so insane, and it's not like I don't think _you_ think you are telling the truth, I just...I need a bit more proof - _you_ _know_? I don't have any old memories to fall back on, or whatever, but if you are correct, then I will soon."

"I know Gee, and _seriously_ , I'm so relieved that you aren't freaking out, and after tonight, this will all make sense, I promise."

"I trust you Frankie," Gerard whispered softly, pressing a gentle kiss to Frank's cheek once he was done speaking.

And even though Gerard was still skeptical, Frank didn't care, he had been expecting that from the beginning, and in a way, it made Frank love Gerard more than he already did, because Gerard was leaping into this completely on faith, faith in _Frank_ , and that meant the fucking world to him. It gave him hope that they could get through anything together, and no matter what was awaiting them in Heaven, Frank wasn't afraid anymore, not when he had Gerard by his side.


	13. I Have No Idea Where I Am Going With This Story So Have A Flashback

"Frankie - I don't know what to pack, what the hell do you take to Heaven anyway... _wait_ \- if I'm a demon, can I even get into Heaven, shouldn't I be banned or some shit?" Gerard rambled, his head half stuffed into the closet as he spoke, random articles of clothing flying out as he dug through his possessions.

Frank had spent the rest of the day explaining their past lives to Gerard, and even though it had been difficult fully describing everything since Gerard had no memory of any of it, Gerard had become much more convinced that Frank's tale was true, but also much more frantic, and even though Frank was ecstatic that Gerard actually believed him, he hadn't expected him to be such a nervous wreck already.

"Frank - are you even listening to me?" Gerard called out loudly, not that it was needed, Frank was only a few feet away sitting on the bed.

"Yes baby, I am, and I don't know, I'm just bringing some clothes and pictures, stuff I would hate to lose, and _no_ , you aren't banned from Heaven, I promise," Frank finally spoke up, trying his best not to laugh when Gerard huffed in exasperation.

"But I care about _everything_ ," Gerard wailed, his hands flying about as he finally pulled himself back into a sitting position, allowing Frank to see his face. "What about my paintings, and our house - _oh fuck_ , what am I going to tell my parents?"

"Gee, calm down love - _please_ ," Frank cooed, sliding off the bed so he could wrap his arms around his husband. "We don't even have to leave tonight if we aren't ready. If you want, I can call Brendon down so we can talk to him, you can ask him what we should tell our families, and maybe he could help us with packing as well," Frank suggested, trying his best to soothe Gerard before he became hysterical.

"Yeah...okay, that sounds good. I'm sorry Frank, this day has just been so fucking _weird_ , and I still can't wrap my head around half of this."

"I know, _believe_ me I do, and it means so fucking much that you are trusting me, but everything is going to be okay," Frank whispered, rubbing Gerard's back softly until he felt his muscles relax under his touch.

"Are you going to call him now?" Gerard asked nervously, his shaky breath hitting Frank's neck when he exhaled.

"Yeah, I don't know how long it will take him to get here though."

Frank shut his eyes when Gerard only nodded in response, projecting Brendon's name loudly in his mind. It had been ages since he had called for another angel, and he had never done it as a human before, so he wasn't entirely sure if this was going to work, but Brendon had said it would, so Frank was going to have to trust him.

"Did he hear you?" Gerard asked fearfully, his eyes darting around as if he expected Brendon to appear at any moment.

"I think so, but angels can't teleport love, he still has to fly here."

"Oh...damn that would be cool if you could though," Gerard chuckled softly. "So what do we do until he gets here?"

"Let's finish packing, and then I can think of a few things to do that will pass the time." Frank waggled his eyebrows suggestively, causing Gerard to emit a high pitched giggle before pressing his lips to Frank's in a soft kiss.

~~~

"They are ready," Brendon sighed, sitting up in his bed abruptly, disturbing Ryan, who was actually in his room for once instead of wherever the fuck he went when he disappeared without a word. 

"Good," was all Ryan said, his face devoid of any emotion.

"I thought you would be happy about that," Brendon remarked in a snarky fashion, tugging a coat around his body as he spoke.

"I am," Ryan shrugged, the cold tone to his voice causing Brendon's blood to boil.

"Okay...what the hell is wrong with you Ryan, and don't tell me you are _fine_ , because that's bullshit. I could understand that you were upset with me for not going to Frank sooner, I deserved that, but you have no reason to be acting this way anymore, and I'm fucking sick of it," Brendon snapped, everything he had been holding inside for the past few weeks finally bubbling out of his mouth in a flurry of words laced with frustration and hurt.

"I - nothing's wrong Bren...I'm just tired I guess," Ryan sighed, his eyes darting everywhere in a pathetic attempt to avoid Brendon's stare.

"'Look at me," Brendon commanded, and when Ryan failed to listen to him, he grasped his chin in his hand, forcing Ryan to meet his gaze. "I hate this Ryan, I fucking _hate_ it. I feel like I don't even know you anymore...and it's scaring me. Just tell me what I'm doing wrong, let me fix this...let me fix _us_?" Brendon pleaded, his earlier fury draining out of his body just as rapidly as it had appeared, leaving him feeling exhausted and weak.

"I - I'm sorry, you didn't do anything wrong, I swear...I'm just _scared_ ," Ryan admitted quietly, the uncaring facade he had wrapped around himself cracking a bit under Brendon's penetrating scrutiny.

"Scared...of what baby?" Brendon pressed, his hand falling from Ryan's face so he could wrap him up in his arms as Ryan began to shudder softly.

" _Everything_ ," Ryan borderline sobbed, pressing his face against Brendon's t-shirt weakly. "This is just like last time, when I died...but I was ignorant back then, I didn't really understand what was happening, and I wasn't afraid, because I knew I could come back again, but now I can't."

"Ry...oh love, you aren't going to die, I promise, I won't let that happen. I'm going to be with you the entire time, and I will protect you."

"But what if you die...I can't - I can't do this Brendon, I can't go through this again. Last time hurt so much, and I barely knew anyone then, but now, now everything's changed, and I - I guess I've been trying to push you away in the hopes of saving us both some pain in the end," Ryan sniffled as Brendon ran a hand through his hair reassuringly.

Brendon hated seeing Ryan cry, he always looked so devastated and fragile, but in a way, he was actually glad that this was happening, and he finally understood why Ryan had been acting like such an asshole toward him, and _really_ \- Brendon should have caught on to this before, but he had been so busy dealing with the prophecy that he hadn't realized the reason behind Ryan's odd behavior.

Ryan had been this way before when Brendon first met him, back when they had both been human, but that was so long ago that it had slipped Brendon's mind, but now all the old memories came pouring back, bringing with them a sense of clarity that Brendon had so desperately been searching for.

Brendon had known of Ryan for quite some time, but it had been in high school when their story truly started. Ryan had a reputation for being a dick, sort of a bad boy actually, but instead of leather and studs, he wore flowery tops and headbands, but Ryan was so cool, he could get away with it and no one ever teased him.

Brendon had mooned over Ryan hopelessly for years, never actually making a move, because he had been the theater nerd back then, and someone with Ryan's social status should have no interest in him, but everything changed when Brendon found Ryan sobbing in the boys toilets one day at lunch.

Brendon had approached him hesitantly despite his natural instincts which were screaming at him to shut the door and pretend he hadn't seen anything, because knowing Ryan, he would lash out at Brendon and make his life a living hell for letting Brendon witness him in such a weak moment, but Brendon's affection for Ryan won out, and before he could second guess his actions, he was kneeling on the grimy floor next to Ryan, holding out a damp paper towel to him so he could wipe his face.

Ryan reacted exactly how Brendon had expected him to, shoving him down and telling him to leave him the fuck alone, so Brendon did, but he didn't forget the broken expression on Ryan's face, and he made it his mission to find out what had caused the strong boy to dissolve into such a wreck.

That wasn't the last day Brendon found Ryan crying around various parts of the school, and each time he would try to help him, only to be pushed away over and over again, but Brendon didn't give up, even though the whole situation seemed hopeless. Deep down, Brendon knew that Ryan needed someone, and he was determined to be that person, even though Ryan wanted nothing to do with him.

Brendon had been walking home from school one day, disappointed because Ryan hadn't been there, when shouting reached his ears, and a familiar figure appeared on a nearby porch. It was _Ryan_ \- except he didn't look like the boy Brendon knew. He was in a ratty t-shirt and torn up jeans, his makeup and headband gone, with tears streaming down his face.

"And stay out, I don't want to see your face around here again," a male voice called out before the door was slammed shut, leaving Ryan standing there paralyzed, his body shaking thanks to the chilly atmosphere.

Brendon had stopped walking the instant he saw Ryan, but he seemed to have lost his voice; he meant to call out to the boy, he ached to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but when Ryan turned around slowly, his eyes locking with Brendon's, all the words Brendon had wanted to say dried up in his throat, so he did the only thing he could think of and extended his hand, inviting Ryan to come over to him.

And against all odds, Ryan actually did, even though he didn't speak a word, he only followed behind Brendon as he led the way to his house, hastily wiping his tears as he went. Brendon didn't pry, because he could tell that Ryan was one second away from breaking right now, and any little thing could set him off, changing him back into the asshole that Brendon was so familiar with.

Ryan fell asleep almost as soon as Brendon led him into his room, the exhaustion plain on his face, and Brendon let him, crashing on the couch so he wouldn't disturb him, but when he woke up, Ryan was gone, leaving only a hastily scribbled thank you note on top of the pillow which was still indented from use.

This went on for quite some time: Brendon reaching out, Ryan sometimes accepting his helping hand, sometimes shoving him away, but eventually, Brendon began to crack away at the hard shell Ryan had covered himself in, and as Ryan's secrets poured out, so did his real self, and Brendon was falling harder for Ryan with every passing day.

Ryan finally explained what had happened that afternoon when Brendon had found him on his porch; it was out of the blue, Ryan had just appeared at Brendon's side when he was walking to school one morning and spilled the story out, leaving Brendon shell shocked and slightly confused.

Apparently Ryan lived with his father, his mother had died a year ago, and ever since her death, Ryan had become more feminine, honoring her with his clothing in a way his father didn't understand. Ryan kept emphasizing that his father wasn't a bad person, just _ignorant_ , and he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Ryan wasn't the picture perfect son he always wanted.

Ryan insisted that it didn't matter how he dressed, and he was still a boy, no matter what he decided to wear, but his father just didn't understand, and this led to numerous fights in which he would throw Ryan out of the house, only to let him in the next day with halfhearted apologies on his lips.

That wasn't the only reason they argued though; Ryan's grades were an issue too, they had been slipping ever since his mother's death, and Ryan's father was not okay with that. He needed his son to go to a university for some unexplained reason, and at the rate Ryan was going, he would have to work to get into the local community college, but Ryan didn't really care.

Ryan also spoke about his mother, mentioning how much he missed her, how she always supported him, and now that she was gone, he felt adrift and alone, and his dad refused to acknowledge his grief, bottling his own emotions up deep inside him. Brendon had wanted to comfort Ryan, to tell him that he would do his best to be there for him when his family wasn't, but before he could speak, Ryan was gone, his rapid footsteps echoing in the still air as he distanced himself from Brendon as quickly as possible.

This happened quite often over the next few months; Ryan would pop up and divulge some secret of his before disappearing again, leaving Brendon to ponder over what he had learned, and also with a better understanding of why Ryan acted the way that he did.

_"Why are you always so nice to me?" Ryan asked one day when Brendon had dragged him back to his house after another dispute with his father._

_"Because you need someone to be," was Brendon's simple answer._

And _yes_ \- to an outsider, Brendon's behavior may have seemed odd. Ryan wasn't necessarily cruel to him, but he wasn't kind to him either. Ryan basically ignored him in school, sometimes taunting him whenever his friends were around, and even when it was just Brendon and Ryan, Ryan very rarely spoke, ignoring Brendon for the most part, leaving small thank you letters as his only form of communication.

_"But that doesn't make sense...you - you could ruin me with the information you know, and you haven't, I just want to know why?" Ryan had pressed._

_"Because I care about you," Brendon admitted, wiping his sweaty palms again the couch they were seated on discreetly._

_"Oh...well you shouldn't," Ryan had spat out, and even though Brendon had been expecting Ryan to say something like that, it still fucking hurt. "Caring for others is pointless, you always get screwed over in the end."_

_"Well even if I do, it's worth it in the long run," Brendon had insisted, his body leaning forward as he tried to put as much passion as possible into his words._

_"It's not, everyone you love will leave you, hurt you - fuck...I just can't," Ryan sighed, and that was when Brendon first realized that Ryan had feelings for him too, he was just too afraid to act on them._

Ryan had been hurt - hurt _badly_ , and Brendon didn't blame him for his reluctance, but he wanted to show Ryan that he wouldn't do those things to Ryan, not _ever_. He knew that was an empty promise, and he did end up breaking it with his death at a young age, which had nearly destroyed Ryan later on down the road, but he didn't know about his sickness then, or maybe he wouldn't have pursued Ryan so relentlessly.

But the fact stood that Brendon wasn't going to give up on Ryan, because he _needed_ him, he needed to make him happy, needed to see his smile and know that he had been the one to put it on his face, so he did something stupid, or maybe brilliant, but whatever it was, it was definitely _nerve wracking_.

And when Brendon pressed his lips against Ryan's in a chaste kiss, he actually felt sparks erupting upon every point their skin touched, and against all odds, Ryan kissed him back; not for long, but it was enough to feel Ryan's lips moving against his own for those few short moments.

_"Just give me a chance," Brendon had pleaded, pressing his forehead against Ryan's in an effort to continue touching him even though their kiss had ended._

_"I - okay."_

It wasn't perfect after that, _of course_ it wasn't; it took Ryan ages to fully trust and open up to Brendon, but in the end, it was all worth it, because underneath his harsh exterior, Ryan was the sweetest person Brendon had ever met, and he craved love, he had just been too afraid to reach out for it after everything he had suffered through.

Brendon felt like smacking himself for not recalling Ryan's usual defense mechanisms, but it had been so long since Ryan had pulled away from him that Brendon had been totally caught off guard, but now he knew, and Brendon wasn't going to let Ryan keep him out any longer.

"Ryan, I can't predict the future, but I will do everything in my power to keep us both safe. This isn't like last time, and _yes_ \- this will be dangerous, but we are prepared for this, we will be okay, but I won't be if you don't let me in. I have missed you so much these past few weeks - _fuck_ , I even thought you might be cheating on me -"

"No - Brendon I would _never_ ," Ryan interrupted him, his eyes widening to a comical size at the accusation.

"I know, I was just being stupid and insecure, but please baby, I _need_ you, I want my Ryan back."

"I'm here, and I'm so sorry. I'm not saying I'm not still afraid, but I won't hide it from you," Ryan promised, pressing his lips against Brendon's in a needy kiss.

Brendon melted into Ryan's lips, drinking up his taste that he had spent so long without, because they had barely done anything lately, just a few pecks on the cheek, but not this. This was what Brendon had been missing - the passion, the love, the _want_ he could feel emanating from Ryan's body, but as much as wanted to stay here and make love to Ryan until there were no boundaries between them, he still had to go and meet Frank.

"Baby, I have to pick up Frank remember?" Brendon murmured softly, grazing Ryan's lips with his own one last time before he stood up slowly.

"Can I come with you?" Ryan asked shyly, causing Brendon to grin widely, because this was the first time that Ryan had asked to spend any time with him outside of Heaven in almost a month.

"You know that you don't need to ask."

And even though the apocalypse was looming, and Brendon was about to uproot two of his best friends from their happy lives, Brendon couldn't stop smiling, because he had his Ryan back now, and that was enough to give Brendon a renewed sense of hope that everything was going to be okay, it _had_ to be, and not just for Brendon's sake, but for Ryan's as well.


	14. In Which Billie Makes Mikey Cry And Gerard Unknowingly Has Ryan Jealous Af

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not quite ready to take this story off hold yet, but this chapter sort of popped into my head while I was at work, so I had to write it down before I lost interest again.

"Billie - did you know that Gerard is coming back tonight?" Mikey exclaimed as he rushed into the library, ignoring the tired sigh which emitted from his friend as his reading was interrupted once again.

"Yes I did," Billie answered curtly, burying his nose back in his book in a futile attempt to convince Mikey to leave him be so he could finish this chapter, but Mikey didn't catch on to his not so subtle hint.

"You did - then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Brendon asked me not to." Billie shrugged minutely, his eyes widening as Mikey's gaze fell into a sorrowful expression that Billie never knew how to handle even after all of these years being surrounding by his more emotional friends. "Come on Mikey, you have to understand why he did that."

"No..." Mikey whimpered softly, his posture deflating as he seated himself heavily on the floor next to the chair Billie Joe was ensconced in.

"Oh god Mikey...please don't cry," Billie begged as Mikey began to sniffle quietly, his body drawing in on itself feebly, his head burying into his knees in a way that looked borderline painful, at least from Billie's perspective.

"I'm not," Mikey murmured, but it was obvious from his hitched breathing that he was.

Billie silently cursed himself for being so insensitive, because he hadn't meant to hurt the other angel, he was only speaking the truth after all, but he had forgotten how fragile Mikey had become lately; the nearness of the seventh prophecy coupled with the chance of being reunited with his long lost brother had Mikey constantly bouncing between a bubbly state and a nervous wreck, and it was entirely Billie's fault that he had hit the lower end of the spectrum.

"I know you are excited to see your brother again, but try and think about this from Gerard's perspective; he is still human for the time being, which means he is most likely confused, and scared, and he will continue to feel that way until he regains his memories, so having a complete stranger meet him at Heaven's gates claiming that he is his brother is not the best way to welcome him, that was why I decided to keep his arrival a secret," Billie explained, doing his best to rectify his previous harsh words with a more caring amendment.

"Oh...well, I guess you are right." Mikey nodded slowly, his expression still morose, but at least he didn't have tears pouring down his cheeks at the moment. "I just miss him so much, it has been fifteen years...do you have any idea how hard this has been on me?"

"No, honestly I don't, and I won't pretend that I can empathize with you, but I am trying to imagine it, and it hurts, but I also know that Gerard is suffering too, so it would be in the best interests for the both of you if you wait until Gerard remembers who you are and how much you mean to him before trying to inundate yourself back into his life."

"Fuck you and your flawless logic," Mikey scoffed gently, and even though Billie had been starting to pick up on sarcasm with a better sense of accuracy, he missed the teasing lilt to Mikey's voice, inspiring him to continue onward in the hopes of earning Mikey's forgiveness.

"I know, I'm sorry, I am sure that isn't what you wanted to hear, and I won't stop you if you want to go see him...I am only trying to help."

"Oh god Billie, I was joking," Mikey assured him instantly, the honesty in his eyes allowing Billie Joe to catch on to his mistake in believing that Mikey was upset with him. "I needed someone to slap some sense into me, which is probably why I came looking for you in the first place, if I had wanted encouragement, I would have gone to find Ray."

"Oh - well then, you are welcome, I think, and if you want, I can keep you company until Gerard is ready to see you."

"Thanks Billie, I would like that." Mikey agreed. "Did you hear that God lifted my banishment from Earth early?"

"Why yes I did," Billie hummed, "which is good, we will need you in the battle that is soon to come."

"Is this all material on the Leviathan?" Mikey queried after a brief period of silence, his eyes dancing across the numerous tomes surrounding Billie's seat as he stretched his limbs into a more comfortable position.

"Everything that I could find," Billie nodded, his hands turning the page which had once again been filled with pointless information that he was already aware of.

"Have you discovered any major weaknesses yet?"

"No... _nothing_ , I don't know if one doesn't exist, or if I am just missing something," Billie groaned, his head beginning to throb lightly as he devoured the next line of text, ignoring the pain to the best of his abilities in favor of hopefully gleaning a new sliver of knowledge that he hadn't possessed before.

"Well, two heads work better than one, so let's find a way to kill this son of a bitch."

~~~

"Can I touch them?" were the first words out of Gerard's mouth when Brendon and his companion alighted in their living room just as the sun began to set, his eyes comically wide as Frank did his best not to erupt into a fit of laughter at his boyfriend's odd request.

"Go for it," Brendon grinned, turning around slightly so Gerard had full access to his wings, which had been the object that had captured Gerard's attention so thoroughly, a joyous expression crossing Gerard's face as he began running his fingers through Brendon's feathers slowly.

Frank giggled under his breath at the scene before him, his gaze meeting the taller angel who had so far stayed silent, and after digging through his newly returned memories for a short while, Frank recognized the quiet man, his mouth turning upward in a smile as he stepped closer to his one-time friend.

"Ryan...it is you right?" Frank asked warily, the picture in his head slightly differing from the person standing before him. Ryan's hair had grown out into long curls instead of the choppy style he had sported before his death, but his chocolate irises had remained the same, and Frank was positive it had to be him.

"Yeah - hey Frank, it's been a while," Ryan responded, his feet shifting back and forth minutely as he spoke.

" _Fuck_ \- it really has, you look different, but in a good way. How is being an angel treating you?" Frank prodded, doing his best to contain the thousands of questions he had for the other man, because he had never been exceptionally close to Ryan, even in the past, and it seemed that time had built up a wall around Ryan that Frank didn't recall being there before.

"It's interesting to say the least, but I've adjusted." Ryan shrugged slightly, his eyes glancing over to where Gerard was still examining Brendon's wings curiously, his mouth constantly running the entire time, something about how he wondered if he had enough time to produce a rough sketch of the feathers before they left, or if he would be allowed to have Brendon model for him in Heaven, or something like that.

"How about you two, still madly in love?" Frank ventured to ask, because he hadn't missed the slight hint of jealousy that crossed over Ryan's face when he had observed Gerard touching Brendon so intimately, even though Gerard didn't remember that an angel's wings were especially sensitive, but Frank now did.

"Basically, we have had our ups and downs, but he still means the world to me." Ryan smiled at Brendon affectionately, allowing Frank to catch his first glimpse of the real Ryan that he had once known all those years ago.

"Frank," Gerard called out, interrupting the private conversation with his giddy tone, "come here and look at this intricate pattern, it is _amazing_ , birds don't even have wings like this."

"I think that is enough examining Brendon for now love, but I promise I will let you stare at my wings for as long as you want when I get them back," Frank chuckled fondly, crossing over to Gerard's side so he could capture his probing fingers in his grasp, successfully calming Gerard down from his excited state as well as freeing Brendon from the artist's inquisition.

"You're right, I'm sorry, I got carried away," Gerard apologized sheepishly, "I just - _fuck_ , angels are real, that's pretty fucking cool."

"Well you are about to meet a lot more of them," Brendon stated, shaking out his feathers quickly before retracting his wings for the time being. "So...are you ready to go?"

"I think so," Frank responded, his gaze darting to Gerard who had suddenly stiffened by his side, "but we were wondering what we should tell our parents about this. Gerard works from home, and I am temporarily out of a job, but our families are going to wonder what happened to us if we disappear without a trace," Frank asked, voicing the question that Gerard had brought up earlier, even though he was unsure if Brendon would have a satisfactory answer for the two of them.

"Well - this is sort of hard to explain, Billie could do it better, but basically, when you died, you weren't exactly reborn again, God created vessels for you and placed your souls inside of them, then they twisted reality around you so you could fit in seamlessly with the lives they had planned for you, but you aren't truly a part of this world, so if you are taken out of it, everything will go back to the way it was before you existed."

"I - I don't understand," Gerard mumbled quietly, his trembling digits clutching Frank's hand in a fierce grip, the new information shaking him slightly even though he was obviously doing his best not to show it.

"Well what Brendon is trying to say is that you weren't born like most humans, you popped into everyone's life and God made it so that your parents had memories of you as children, even though they didn't know who you were until fifteen years ago. I am not fully knowledgeable on the subject either, but you two are almost artificial beings, not your bodies, but your presence here. That is why you don't have many friends, and why you don't feel the need to seek out any other people's company. It is a strange process, one that has never been done before as far as I understand it, but regarding your loved ones, once you are transformed back into your original states, everyone will forget about you automatically," Ryan attempted to clarify Brendon's words, and even though it helped, Frank's brain was still spinning wildly.

" _Seriously_...but I have seen baby pictures of myself, I remember things from when I was little, how can that all be fake?" Frank stammered out, his mind churning rapidly as it tried to take in this new information, and Gerard seemed just as stunned as Frank was.

"None of that happened," Brendon nodded solemnly, "God returned you to earth as teenagers, actually, your first day as humans was the one in which you two met, apparently it is much easier to do things that way than to imprint your mind into a child's, plus God wanted to make sure that the two of you would find each other at an age in which you would recognize the love you shared, he said it was his gift to you for being brave enough to stand up for what you believed in, as well as all of the hardships you went through before Gerard's death."

"Oh my god, this is like an epic comic book origin story," Gerard mumbled under his breath, his already pale face carrying an even whiter sheen than usual, but Frank didn't blame him for his reaction, he was having a hard time grasping everything, even with his returned memories, but Gerard's comment released a short bark of laughter from his lips, and he couldn't help but to press a swift kiss to his husband's cheek as a response.

"Once you are a demon again, it will make more sense, I promise," Brendon smiled reassuringly, "but if it is okay with you two, we should probably leave, Earth isn't the safest place for angelic beings at the moment, and the sooner we get you into Heaven, the better our odds of defeating the Leviathan before it fully awakes is."

"Gerard...baby, are you still willing to do this?" Frank questioned gently when his husband remained silent.

"I am, it's just a lot to take in, and I want to say goodbye to my mom, even if she won't remember me," Gerard sighed heavily, inspiring Frank to shoot Brendon a questioning look, to which he received a short nod in return.

"You can call her Gerard, just don't mention anything supernatural to her okay?"

" _Really_ \- thank you, I'll be quick," Gerard promised, his eyes lighting up as he darted upstairs to retrieve his cell phone.

"And what about you Frank?" Ryan spoke after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"Hmm?" Frank hummed noncommittally, his attention occupied by the soft strains of Gerard's voice that he could hear emitting from their open bedroom door.

"Do you want to talk to your parents too?"

"I - I'm okay," Frank shook his head, because as much as he loved his family, he knew that being faced with their voices would only make his choice to leave everything he had known behind even more difficult for him to follow through with, and Ryan seemed to understand that.

"You are doing the right thing Frank, without you two, humanity would be obliterated."

"I - I know, I'm just scared..." Frank admitted nervously, "but I'll be okay, I sort of just want to get this over with."

"We will, I promise, everyone is going to help you in this battle, and with you on our side once more, we finally have a chance, so thank you for coming back." Brendon pulled Frank into a quick hug, his embrace still familiar even after their long separation.

"Of course I did, I can't let you have all of the fun without me," Frank chortled softly, trying to convince himself that the choked quality of his tone was caused by Brendon squeezing him too tightly and not his turbulent emotions.

Footsteps on the stairs broke the two men apart, and when Frank glanced upward, he saw Gerard reentering the living room, a sad smile painted across his face as he hefted the bag he had packed earlier onto his back.

"Mom was about to leave for the opera, so she couldn't talk long, but I got to tell her I love her, so I'm ready if you are Frank," Gerard stated solemnly.

"Come here," Frank beckoned, dragging Gerard into his arms suddenly before pressing a gentle kiss to his husband's forehead. "We don't have to go if you don't want to baby, you can still change your mind, just say the word," Frank whispered into his ear, even though he was determined that they had to follow through with this, his friends needed them, _hell_ \- everyone needed them, but if Gerard asked him too, Frank would stay here, no matter how many souls he damned in the process.

"No, I want to do this with you, besides, I can't pass up on the opportunity to see you with wings."

"I love you so much," Frank murmured, his eyes squeezing shut as a sudden round of tears seemed to appear as if from nowhere, his throat closing rapidly as he swayed in place with Gerard firmly clutched to his chest.

"I love you too sugar, now come on, let's go save the world."


	15. Sort Of Feelsy Filler For All You Lovely People

Gerard was well aware that he looked like an idiot as Frank practically dragged him down Heaven's corridors, and he was sure that if he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror, it would be hilarious; he could feel his eyes trying to pop out of his skull as he drank in the numerous wonders around him, his mouth was drying out from how wide it was hanging open, his neck was constantly twisting in every direction possible to allow himself to observe Heaven from every angle, but he honestly didn't care how ridiculous he came off as, because he was in Heaven, and _fuck_ \- it was even more amazing than he had imagined it would be.

Actually, Gerard wasn't sure what he had expected Heaven to be like, he had never really given it much thought until yesterday, _hell_ \- he hadn't truly believed it had existed until just now, but Heaven lived up to its glorious reputation, even though it was a bit more modern than Gerard had expected, but according to Brendon, they were technically in the angel barracks, which were very different from the area where humans went after they died.

But even for a structure built with function in mind instead of beauty, Gerard still found his breath catching in his throat as he gazed at the sweeping architecture. The tall ceilings coupled with numerous stained glass windows and billowing curtains had Gerard's internal interior designer swooning, but that was nothing compared to the winged beings striding to and fro, their varying feathers capturing Gerard's interest even more rapidly than the marble surrounding him.

Gerard's head began spinning as he attempted to comprehend the fact that he was actually in Heaven, with angels breathing the same air he was, and God supposedly somewhere in the nearby vicinity. He suddenly felt the urge to take a moment to draw in a deep inhale, hoping that the sudden rush of oxygen would clear his muddled thoughts, but the opposite seemed to happen, and for a split second, Gerard truly thought he might faint, but a calming touch from Frank helped to ground him once more, and he was able to continue onward with only the faintest tremors wracking his body.

Gerard was still reeling slightly from the portal trip here, which had been terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time, despite the fact that Gerard was slightly disappointed that they weren't able to fly to their destination, but when Ryan had pointed out that they might suffocate in the thinner atmosphere, Gerard had to concede to their logic, and Frank's promise that he would take Gerard into the skies as soon as they had gotten their wings back had mollified his crushed expectations.

Wings - _fuck_ , Gerard was going to have wings, and even though they wouldn't be as beautiful as Brendon's, because apparently demon's appendages were not pleasing to the eye, Gerard was still excited to possess them, although a small part of him felt a pang of jealousy whenever he spied a new set of plumage. Gerard would much rather be an angel than a demon, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice in the matter.

Gerard hadn't even really considered the implications of everything that was about to happen to him, because despite his assurances to Frank, he had been very doubtful about this entire thing until Brendon and Ryan had arrived, and even then, Frank's words were only just now sinking in fully. The shock of the situation was wearing off as Gerard came to accept that there was so much more to him than just a normal human, allowing a slew of apprehensive emotions to take their place.

Gerard was truly afraid of what it would feel like to be transformed into a demon, because he didn't want to become evil, which is what he had previously assumed demons to be, but after he had voiced his worries to Frank during their short journey to the portal, Frank had promised him that he wouldn't be, swearing that demons could choose to stand with either Heaven or Hell, and Gerard had already made that decision in the life which he couldn't remember, but _still_ , that didn't completely eliminate the coiling tendrils of fear that wrapped around Gerard's stomach whenever he thought about what he would soon be.

"You okay love?" Frank asked softly, his hand which Gerard had clutched onto as soon as they entered the portal squeezing his lightly, bringing Gerard's attention back to his husband and away from the beautiful scenery.

"Yeah...just overwhelmed," Gerard murmured quietly, his eyes locking onto a mousy haired angel who seemed to be staring his way, but as soon as Gerard caught the man's gaze, he turned his back suddenly, his black haired companion whispering something into his ear as the two of them disappeared down an adjacent hallway.

"You are doing so well though," Frank replied softly, his voice cracking slightly as he continued. "Thank you for trusting me, I can't imagine how hard this is for you without any memories."

"I would follow you anywhere Frank, even to a place that I was convinced didn't exist."

"Have I told you I love you today?" Frank giggled under his breath, his hold on Gerard's hand falling away, but only so he could wrap his arm around Gerard's waist affectionately.

"Maybe, but one more time wouldn't hurt," Gerard smirked, his head dipping down so he could steal a quick kiss before facing forward once more.

"So where are we going exactly?" Frank asked, directing his question toward Brendon who had paused his rapid stride once Frank had spoken.

"Your room for right now, we kept it the same over all these years. God will meet with you both soon, but until then, there is nothing to do besides sit back and enjoy a few moments of peace."

"Is everyone else still here, Ray, Billie, Mi-" Frank paused mid-sentence, shooting Gerard a worried look, to which Gerard simply furrowed his brow in confusion, because none of those names meant anything to him, and he didn't understand why Frank was reacting in such a negative fashion.

"Yes they are, but it would probably be best to reunite with them after the process of having Gerard's memories restored has been completed," Brendon responded, his hands clenching together softly at his sides. "Ry, can you go inform God that they are here now, they probably already know, but better safe than sorry."

"Of course, I'll be in our room afterward if you need me," Ryan nodded, pressing a swift kiss to Brendon's cheek before peeling off quickly, his footsteps ringing out harshly against the gleaming floors.

"Why do I feel like you are hiding something from me?" Gerard asked warily, because the last time Frank had seemed this shaken up had been the other morning before Frank had admitted to the fact that he was actually an angel, and Gerard didn't know how many more surprises his heart could take before it gave out completely.

"It's nothing bad love... _just_ \- we both had very strong relationships with a lot of the people here, and Brendon is right, it would be best to wait and see them until after you can recall what they mean to you," Frank explained vaguely, and even though Gerard wanted to know more, he could sense that Frank was only trying to protect him, so he kept his mouth shut, trapping the thousands of questions bubbling up in his throat from escaping past his lips.

"Come on, it isn't much further now," Brendon spoke up, diffusing the awkward tension as he began walking again.

Gerard allowed himself to be distracted, following behind the angel as he did his best not to waste his brain cells trying to decipher what Frank had been so reluctant to tell him, because he would find out soon enough, so worrying over it was pointless, and without his memories, he probably wouldn't be able to reach a correct hypothesis either way.

~~~

"Oh my god Gerard - come here and look at this," Frank exclaimed, his excited tone instantly pulling Gerard away from his examination of a painting hanging on the off-white wall to face his husband who was currently seated on the edge of what had once been his mattress, and now was again.

Brendon had left them to get settled in Frank's old room, promising that he would be back as soon as God was ready to begin their transformation, providing Frank and Gerard with a small amount of alone time to try and process everything before they were thrust headfirst into what was apparently a heated battle that was only waiting for them to lead it.

Frank's quarters were surprisingly plain, but Gerard concluded that it did make sense. He had seen at least a hundred angels today alone, and giving them each extravagant bedrooms would most likely be difficult, even though this was Heaven, but _whatever_ , Gerard's head hurt enough as it was without pondering this pointless question.

Still, it was a decent space, the bed was wonderfully soft, and there was an impressive sword leaning against the far corner which Frank had smiled at fondly when they first walked in, his thumb brushing against the hilt in a loving fashion. Gerard was getting slightly antsy now though, he had already gone through Frank's closet, which had held nothing of interest, and there was only so long he could stare at the one painting that graced the otherwise simple room before succumbing to boredom.

"What is it?" Gerard asked, eager for a distraction of any kind, crawling over the sheets so he could peer down at the leather bound book Frank was clutching tightly in his tattooed hands.

"This is my old angel log, it is where I recorded almost everything that happened, starting with the day I met you," Frank smiled, a slight sheen of tears coating his irises as he stroked the cover fondly.

"You kept a diary?" Gerard chuckled, the sound escaping his lips without his consent, but he honestly couldn't imagine Frank doing anything of the sort, even though this had been a different version of the husband he knew and loved.

" _Hey_ \- you did too...wait - I swear I had it here somewhere." Frank jumped off the bed suddenly, his fingers pushing the mattress up, causing Gerard, who was still on top of it to slip down against the wall with a stifled chuckle. "Found it," Frank exclaimed, emerging with a second volume, and when he opened up one of the pages at random, Gerard was surprised to see his own handwriting staring back at him.

"Can I read it?" Gerard asked, curious to see what he had penned down about his former life as a demon, even though he already knew the answer before it reached his ears.

"Are you sure...it would probably better if you -"

"I know, I should wait," Gerard pouted, his bottom lip sticking out as Frank placed both books on top of a nearby dresser with an air of finality.

"I'm sorry love, I just don't want to overwhelm you."

"I know sugar, you are only looking out for me, but _still_ , I can't help the fact that I'm curious," Gerard sighed, stretching out his limbs so he could latch his hands onto Frank's hips, successfully dragging him back down against the mattress before wrapping himself around him in a loving embrace.

"Well it won't be long now before you will know everything."

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Gerard questioned, adding a teasing lilt to his voice, even though he didn't really plan on getting up to anything when Brendon or anyone else for that matter could turn up at any moment. "Tell me your favorite memory about our old life," Gerard added on quickly, choking back a laugh as Frank's face fell with disappointment before he regained his adorable grin.

"Oh god - there are so _many_ ," Frank murmured softly, his eyes glazing over slightly as his mind fell back into the past. "I think it would have to be the first time you told me you loved me."

"Yeah?" Gerard prodded gently when Frank remained silent for a few moments, eager to hear more about the situation that he had no recollection of.

"We were high up on a cliff, taking a break from a long flight, and I was upset. I had recently killed another angel that had refused to understand that I was in love with a demon. He - he _threatened_ you, and I couldn't let him hurt you, so I did what I had to do, but I still felt so guilty."

"Oh Frank..." Gerard murmured soothingly, pulling Frank against his chest gently as Frank continued to speak.

"My wings had changed, that happens with angels when we commit a sin, they turn darker with each transgression, and you noticed, but you didn't understand what it meant, _still_ \- when you pointed it out, I snapped, I broke down crying actually, and then I yelled at you when you tried to insist that they were still beautiful."

"What happened then?"

"You forced me to let you see them, even though I was trying to hide them from you, but you insisted. You looked over each feather slowly, taking your time, and I was so scared that you would see how disgusting I had become, but _of course_ you didn't. Once you were done, you told me that I was flawless and that you loved me. I don't think you meant to say it, you looked so shocked when it slipped out, but I had already loved you for such a long time at that point, and hearing those words at my weakest moment was exactly what I needed. You were always doing things like that - _hell_ , you still do," Frank choked out, a few tears running down his cheeks as he pressed his face into Gerard's t-shirt.

"Oh sugar, _fuck_ \- I can't wait until I remember that," Gerard exhaled heavily, his own eyes stinging slightly as Frank cried softly in his arms.

"Me either, but at the same time, I wish you didn't have to go through this. Not all of those memories are good, and I wish I could keep them from you."

"I don't care, I would give anything to have those experiences back, no matter how much horror comes with them, because you are worth it, not to mention I have friends I can't even recognize, people I love that I feel nothing for, and I want them back, I want this life back as long as you are here with me," Gerard stated defiantly, trying to prove to Frank that he was ready for whatever came next, because he was now, of that he was certain. This was important, and Frank needed him, so Gerard would gladly suffer through whatever unpleasantness was to come so he could stay by his husband's side.

"You are the most incredible, selfless, amazing, loving person I have ever met," Frank grinned weakly as Gerard's thumb snaked out, gently brushing away the few tears that still clung to Frank's cheeks stubbornly.

Gerard's heart thrummed rapidly against his ribcage as he stared down at his husband, because even though he was used to compliments by now, this moment was so _heavy._ Frank's sorrow had intensified his statement more than any other declaration of adoration that he had ever uttered before, and Gerard had no idea how to express his thoughts in that moment. He had almost forgotten how to form words, his love for Frank was overwhelming all of his mental capacities, and no matter how hard he tried to speak, his tongue lay heavy and thick in his mouth.

A knock on the door saved Gerard from responding, followed by Brendon's familiar face peeking around the doorframe. "God is ready if you are."

"Give us one second," Frank spoke up first, to which Brendon nodded in acquiescence before disappearing back into the hallway.

"I love you," Gerard choked out, his arms tightening around Frank as if someone was going to rip the two of them apart at any moment.

"I love you too, so fucking much," Frank replied, his hands wrapping around Gerard's neck as he tugged his mouth downward for a quick kiss, Frank's previous tears leaving behind a salty taste on his lips which Gerard drank in eagerly.

And in that moment, Gerard forgot about everything else, all worries involving angels, and demons, and the end of the world flew out of his head, because in the end, none of that really mattered, Frank trumped everything, and Gerard was more than happy to push the rest of the world away and simply enjoy the sensation of having Frank's body pressed against his, because this was what would carry him through whatever terrors were awaiting him once he was able to recall his past, so he chose to live in the present until he was forced to face the future.


	16. In Which David Bowie Is Actually God

Frank bowed his head instinctually as he entered the room in which God was awaiting him and Gerard, the bright light that always surrounded them blinding Frank's human eyes, forcing him to squint heavily while blinking back tears, an overwhelming sense of awe mingled with fear flowing through him as God's presence rushed over him.

Frank could now recall meeting God on several previous occasions, but this time was different, _hell_ \- it was borderline overwhelming, and it was taxing every muscle in Frank's body to continue following behind Brendon as he led him into the middle of the room, a soft sigh of relief escaping Frank's mouth when they finally came to a sudden halt.

Brendon and God exchanged a few words that didn't register in Frank's ears, he was too busy trying to capture the tattered shreds of his composure during the brief interlude he had been graced with, but before Frank was anywhere close to putting himself back together again, Brendon was inclining his head in God's direction, sending Frank a short wave while he exited the room with ground-eating strides.

Frank chanced a glance upward then, curious to see how God would appear to him this time, but he had barely gotten a glimpse of a diminutive child with red hair and freckled cheeks before he had to look away again, the mere sight of God had almost been too much for Frank to handle, and he was overcome with the sudden desire to grovel on the floor and beg forgiveness for any and all sins that he had ever committed during his numerous lifetimes.

"Welcome home my son," God spoke up just then, their melodic voice offsetting a series of tremors in Frank's small frame, and he silently cursed his frail human form that couldn't handle being face to face with God without wanting to break apart.

"Frank..." Gerard whispered from his position behind him, his hand blindly groping for Frank's as he shuffled toward him nervously, "why didn't you tell me that God is David Bowie?" Gerard asked in a hushed tone of voice, his innocent question causing Frank to release a sudden bark of laughter, the pressure in his chest dissipating by a small fraction thanks to his husband relieving the tension that had been threatening to crush it.

"God shows themselves differently to everyone love, but they aren't actually David Bowie," Frank chuckled fondly, leaning back into Gerard slightly, the warmth against his shoulder grounding him as well as giving him the strength to greet God, who was staring down at them with a soft smile on their lips.

"I thought you might enjoy this version of me," God smiled, inclining his head in Gerard's direction, leaving Frank to physically pry Gerard's fingers from his own to prevent his bones from being crushed as Gerard mumbled out something unintelligible.

"God," Frank spoke up, clearing his throat harshly before continuing, "I just wanted to say thank you for everything you did for Gerard and I, it means more to me than I can ever explain with words," Frank stammered out weakly, his eyes burning harshly as God focused their attention his way, enhancing the powerful effects of being in their vicinity that Frank was still struggling with.

"You deserved it Frank, and it warms my heart that you got to spend some happy years with your true love, but now Heaven needs your help once more, and we must ask you to put your humanity aside in order to aid us." God's face morphed into a solemn expression as they spoke, and Frank realized that God was upset, _regretful_ even, and it was all for them. The epiphany released a sudden spike of fear in Frank's chest, but he ignored it when God continued speaking. "This is your last chance to change your mind, and if you so wish, I will send you back to Earth to live out whatever time this planet has left."

"No - we want to help," Gerard cut in, the wavering quality to his voice doing nothing to diminish the determination emitting off of him, "right Frank?" Gerard queried, gazing over at Frank with a nervous look plastered on his face.

"We aren't leaving," Frank nodded in affirmation, pulling Gerard closer to him in the process. "We won't turn our backs on the world, not if there is something we can do to change its fate, just tell us what we need to do."

"I knew you wouldn't let us down Frank," God exhaled in relief, their shimmering form stepping down from the slightly raised dais they had previously been standing on. "So if you are sure that you are ready for this step, I must change you back into your supernatural forms before my strength wanes any further."

"We are ready," Frank stated solemnly, tightening his hold on Gerard gently when he felt Gerard starting to shake slightly beside him.

"I will begin with you Frank, it will be the easiest transformation since your memories have already been restored, so I will only have your physical makeup to worry about."

"I understand," Frank responded warily, his hand instinctually running up and down Gerard's spine when his husband dug his fingers into his side, clutching tighter to Frank with each step that God took toward them.

"Stand in the middle of this circle, it will help channel my power, and keeping your mind blank will be beneficial as well. This process might be slightly painful, but if you relax, it should go smoothly since your mind already knows what you are."

"Okay - let's do this," Frank heaved out, extricating himself from his husband reluctantly so he could place his feet on the intricate design that God had stopped in front of, a strong tingling sensation flowing through his veins as soon as the soles of his sneakers made contact with the pattern.

"Close your eyes Frank, this will be over before you know it."

Frank did as God asked, his lids squeezing shut as he heard Gerard whimper slightly behind him. Frank ached to turn around and comfort his husband, to tell him that everything would be okay, but before he had the chance to move, God's hands landed heavily on his shoulders, the touch feeling akin to being grazed with a live wire, leaving Frank shaking slightly, his lip trapped between his teeth as he tried to suppress a groan of discomfort.

Frank found himself wondering for a moment when God had suddenly gotten taller than him, because in the childlike state they had chosen today, their head should barely have reached Frank's chest, but all his queries about logistics flew out of his brain as every one of his nerves endings began to tingle painfully, the uncomfortable sensation quickly transforming into full blown pain before barely a minute had passed.

Frank wanted to cry out, to release some of the agony he was experiencing as his bones and muscles writhed under his skin, but he kept his mouth pressed together in a firm line, unwilling to project his distress in the fear of upsetting his husband whose presence he could still feel hovering behind him despite the sensations that were currently taking up most of his concentration.

But just when Frank's knees were beginning to buckle under the strain, and the skin on his lip was starting to bleed from him biting on it so hard, his torment reached an end, the pangs in his limbs fading away into a dull ache that was much more bearable, allowing Frank to release a heavy sigh of relief as soon as he could breathe again.

"You can open your eyes now Frank," God's melodic voice rang out, so Frank did as they asked, noticing that the aura surrounding God had lessened slightly during the past few minutes, maybe because Frank was now an angel, or because he had used so much power returning Frank to his supernatural state, but either way, Frank felt much more comfortable around them now.

"Oh my god sugar..." Gerard whispered softly, the sound of his feet shuffling closer to him inspiring Frank to turn around so that Gerard would be the first thing he saw after his ordeal, and _fuck_ \- Gerard had a look of awe plastered across his face, his gaze was glued to an area slightly above Frank's head, and when Frank flexed his shoulders instinctually, he felt a pair of appendages shift behind him.

"My wings," Frank choked out, his neck craning around in an attempt to view the feathers that had once been so familiar to him.

"They are gorgeous," Gerard cooed, his hand tentatively reaching out as he came face to face with Frank, the pads of his fingers stroking them gently after receiving a nod of affirmation from Frank, "but is this one broken?" Gerard questioned worriedly, his eyebrows tugging together as he moved his attention to Frank's right pinion.

"Oh..." Frank gasped, now recalling the fact that his wing had been wounded in his fight with Lucifer all those years ago, but he had assumed that God could fix that as well, even though apparently that wasn't the case.

"Do not worry my son, Billie Joe has become quite an accomplished healer in the time since your separation, and he will be able to fix all of the former damage. I would have done it myself, but it is easier to restore you to the most current state you were last in as an angel, and I need to conserve what is left of my energy for Gerard, his reversal will be much more difficult."

"Because he..." Frank trailed off, a lump forming in his throat at just the thought of Gerard's death, even though he was obviously alive now, but it still hurt, and Frank was certain that it always would, no matter how much time had passed since the awful event had transpired.

" _Died_ \- yes. I will have to bring back a version of Gerard from the past, before the battle where I found you, which will be hard enough, but I also need to restore his memories as well. After that, my powers will be drained until the events of the seventh prophecy are over, so the rest is up to you and Gerard."

"We won't fail you," Frank promised solemnly, the enormity of this task that had been thrust upon them so suddenly weighing him down as God smiled up at him warmly.

"I know you won't," God answered, their eyes filling with pride as Gerard took Frank's hand in his in a form of silent agreement. "Now why don't you let Brendon show you to Billie's room while I take care of Gerard. This process might take some time, and healing your wing should be a quick procedure."

"I - uh, okay," Frank agreed reluctantly, something in God's tone making him hesitant to leave his husband, but he could trust that God would look after Gerard's wellbeing - _right_? "I will come back as soon as I can." Frank turned to Gerard, pressing his palm against his husband's cheek before placing a light kiss to his lips in the way of a farewell.

"I'll be fine Frankie, you worry about getting yourself fixed up," Gerard grinned against Frank's mouth, but Frank didn't miss the way his hands were trembling slightly, showcasing the nerves that he was so desperately trying to hide.

But despite his concerns about abandoning Gerard in an unfamiliar place, Frank forced himself to exit the room quickly, knowing that if he stayed for another minute, he wouldn't be able to leave at all, and disobeying a command from God was out of the question, even if it was worded as a simple suggestion.

Brendon met Frank outside of the door, his eyes lighting up when he caught sight of Frank's wings, but instead of saying something like Frank had been expecting, Brendon immediately began to walk away from him, motioning quickly with his hand that Frank should follow him.

"Whoa Bren, what's the hurry?" Frank tried to pass off his question as a lighthearted joke, but Brendon's odd behavior was making him even more nervous about leaving Gerard than he already was, causing Frank to pause his forward motion until Brendon was forced to stop as well.

"It's nothing." Brendon attempted to grin in what Frank assumed was supposed to be a reassuring manner, but his expression was off, and Frank knew that he was hiding something from him. "We should get going though, I think Billie had somewhere to be later, and we should get your wing healed as soon as possible so you can get used to flying again," Brendon rambled, the anxiousness in his tone unsettling Frank even further.

"Bren - what the hell is going on?" Frank demanded, crossing his arms harshly over his chest as he awaited a reply that wasn't full of bullshit, but whatever Brendon was about to say was cut off by a heart wrenching wail emitting from somewhere behind them, the sound arrowing straight to Frank's heart as he realized that it was _Gerard_ who was screaming.

"Gerard?" Frank called out, but he didn't even wait for an answer before turning sharply on his heel and sprinting back the way he had come, ignoring Brendon's pleas for him to wait as he tried to yank the door open which had mysteriously closed behind him.

"Frank - please wait," Brendon cut in, trying to pry Frank away from the door as he spoke. "Gerard will be okay, his transformation is just more painful than yours since he has to experience his death again, but it will be over before you know it," Brendon begged, but Frank didn't want to listen to his excuses, so he swatted his friend's hand away, using his full strength to push open the stubborn obstruction that was keeping him from his husband.

Frank's momentum carried him forward a few feet before he nearly tumbled over his own shoes, allowing Brendon time to catch up with him, his arms wrapping around him in a vice-like fashion, leaving Frank trapped in place no matter how hard he struggled.

Frank's gaze immediately snapped to Gerard; he was standing in the same circle that Frank had been in only minutes ago, but he seemed to be on the verge of collapsing at any moment. His arms were clutching his middle weakly, his eyes were squeezed shut as tears streamed down his cheeks, his mouth was gaping open as tormented sounds escaped his lips, and _fuck_ \- Frank had to stop this, he had to protect Gerard, regardless of whatever consequences followed his actions.

"Let me go!" Frank yelled, his small frame twisting and turning wildly in Brendon's hold, but his efforts produced no results, and the younger angel easily kept his firm grip on Frank.

"I can't Frank...if you touch him, it will make it even harder for God to finish it. Please trust me on this, you know we would never cause Gerard any pain on purpose, but this had to be done."

"I...I have to help him, he's _hurting_ Bren," Frank gasped out, a second round of Gerard's screams piercing his ears as he did his best to block out the sound, Gerard's distress filling his eyes with tears as he gazed in his direction longingly.

"I know...I'm so sorry, we wanted to get you away so you didn't have to experience this, but it is almost over," Brendon apologized, and even though Frank was still furious with him, the broken tone to Brendon's words caused him to cease his struggles for a moment, it wasn't like they were producing any results anyway.

"It's okay Gee, I'm here," Frank whispered softly, even though he highly doubted that Gerard could hear him over his own cries, but he still meant every word, and he felt slightly better once they were uttered.

As Gerard continued to writhe and whimper, Frank gave up on trying to stay strong in front of Brendon and he allowed his knees to buckle underneath him, his body hitting the floor as he sobbed softly into his hands, wishing that this was all over so he could wrap Gerard in his arms and soothe away all of his aches and pains, so he could beg his forgiveness for ever getting him into this whole mess, so he could promise him that this was the last time he would have to experience such agony, even though Frank couldn't be certain that his words would hold any truthfulness, but he sure as hell was going to do his best to make sure that Gerard would never have to suffer like this ever again.


	17. This Is Much Better Than A High School Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I randomly had a bunch of inspiration for this story so have another chapter ^_^

In Frank's mind, it seemed as if Gerard's transformation took ages to be completed, _eons_ even; his screams went on for so long that his voice cracked and grew weak, his body collapsed onto the hard floor as God continued to grasp onto his shaking shoulders, his hands scrabbled weakly against the tile in an attempt to escape the pain, but he _couldn't_ , and neither could Frank.

Even though Frank wasn't actually experiencing the sensations Gerard was suffering through firsthand, watching his husband's torment was Frank's personal version of Hell, and he barely managed to contain himself from launching his small frame at God so he could tear them away from Gerard before Frank went insane.

But as all things must, Frank's vivid nightmare that also happened to be reality ended as well, and with one last painful gasp, Gerard fell still, his skeletal wings now protruding out of his back as God stepped away from his huddled form. The hair hanging over Gerard's face was now a startling red instead of the ebony shade that Frank had become accustomed to, and even though Frank was still on the verge of tears, he found himself smiling at the sight of the Gerard that he had first fallen in love with.

Frank's eyes glanced toward God, asking permission to approach Gerard now that the transformation seemed to be complete, noticing that their own stance was stooped and projecting exhaustion. Brendon seemed to catch on to God's weakness as well, inciting him to finally release Frank before hurrying over to God's side instead, steadying him with his touch before they joined Gerard on the ground.

"Gee," Frank choked out, scrambling over to Gerard's prone body now that he was free to move once more, ignoring everyone else in the room until he had ascertained that Gerard was alright, but his husband didn't answer him, instead, he only shrunk inward on himself, his frame shaking with almost silent sobs as he tucked his knees into his chest feebly. "Baby, it's okay - I've got you," Frank murmured, gently pulling Gerard into his lap and off of the unforgiving floor.

"Frank - I...is it over?" Gerard whimpered softly, a violent tremor wracking his limbs as he did his best to burrow into Frank's chest, his tears quickly soaking Frank's t-shirt as he began stroking Gerard's hair soothingly.

"Yes love, you did it, you are so strong, I'm so proud of you."

"I - I think I'm gonna be sick," Gerard heaved out, giving Frank just enough warning to help Gerard turn to his side before his stomach decided to empty itself of everything it had eaten that day.

Frank hummed a random tune under his breath as Gerard wretched noisily, his heart aching at his husband's miserable state, but Frank should have expected this, he had gone through a similar experience when he had regained his own memories after all, which only made him feel like an idiot for ever letting God talk him into abandoning Gerard throughout this process, but he was with him now, and that was all that mattered.

"Do you need something, water maybe?" Frank asked when Gerard's vomiting had been reduced to nothing but soft dry heaves.

"No...please don't leave me," Gerard begged, stark terror inundating his voice as he dug his fingernails into Frank's forearm with a surprising amount of strength, causing Frank to wince slightly in response.

"I won't love, I'm not going anywhere," Frank promised rapidly, taking note of the way some of the tension left Gerard's muscles as his words sunk in. "So..." Frank asked warily when Gerard remained silent for a prolonged amount of time, "did it work...do you remember your past life now?"

"I - _yeah_ ," Gerard nodded slowly, his eyes glazing over as he sunk down into the newly awakened areas of his mind. "I do, even though I sort of wish I didn't have to experience dying again...doing that in reverse is not a fun way to spend your afternoon," Gerard laughed roughly, the fact that he was injecting humor into their conversation soothing some of Frank's worries for the time being.

"I am sorry for that Gerard," God spoke up suddenly, and much to his embarrassment, Frank jumped slightly. He had almost forgotten about the company sharing the room with him and his husband, but now his attention was drawn back to God and Brendon. "I would have warned you beforehand, but that would have allowed you to build up mental barriers to protect yourself, and ripping those down would have only made the transformation even harder."

"No - it's okay, I shouldn't have fallen apart like that, but I never had a very high pain tolerance," Gerard chuckled weakly, his spine pressing into Frank's chest as he relaxed against him tiredly.

"You did wonderfully Gerard, and now the worst is over."

"So what do we do from this point?" Frank questioned curiously, because they had yet to discuss what would happened once this step had been reached, and even though he wanted nothing more than to spend the remainder of the day recovering with Gerard, he knew that the world wasn't going to wait for them to get their heads screwed on straight, and he wanted to be aware of what was lurking around the corner.

"Now you rest, and so shall I," God grinned mischievously, and Frank knew that they had sensed his exhaustion. "Billie Joe will stop by your room later to heal your wing, and then he and Brendon will explain everything to you in greater detail. I will not be able to involve myself any further from this point on, so place your trust in them, and I know you will defeat the Leviathan together."

Frank had further queries he wanted to voice, so many what ifs that were burning the skin at the tip of his tongue, but before he could decide what to say first, God was already walking away, and even though a part of Frank wanted to follow them, the majority of his heart was tied to the man lying heavily in his lap who he refused to leave, even for a few minutes, and Frank knew that pursuing God would be considered rude, so he was content to wait for his answers for just a little while longer.

~~~

After some much needed shut eye, Frank was feeling like his old self again, but Gerard still seemed off, _distant_ almost. He was trying to pretend that he was asleep with his face half buried in the pillow, but Frank could tell by his breathing patterns that Gerard was wide awake, and as much as Frank wanted to respect that Gerard was most likely trying to shift through his newfound memories on his own, Frank couldn't help but nudge his shoulder softly.

"What are you thinking about love?" Frank murmured softly when Gerard stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open for a brief second as he gazed up at Frank slowly.

"Everything," Gerard chuckled halfheartedly, his lashes brushing against his cheeks as he allowed his lids to drift shut once more. " _You_ mostly if I'm being honest."

"What about me?" Frank continued to pry, his curiosity getting the better of him even though he could sense Gerard's reluctance to speak.

"Well...I - I saw you Frank, I didn't the first time, or I blocked it out, I don't know, but now I can't get it out of my head, your _face_ Frank, you - I have never seen you cry like that."

"What are you talking about baby?" Frank interrupted Gerard's ramblings, needing some clarification to make sure that Gerard was referring to the incident that Frank thought he was before he began jumping to conclusions.

"When I died...God made me relive it again, but I had to experience all of the things I had missed originally: your pleading for Lucifer to stop, you holding me as I slipped away, you weeping over me, it - I think that hurt more than anything, and every time I close my eyes, the image is right there waiting for me."

"Oh baby...it will fade away. The same thing happened to me when I first got my memories back, but they won't stay this vivid, I promise." Frank tried to keep his tone positive, but even though he wasn't lying, he knew the pain Gerard was feeling wouldn't disappear as easily, his hadn't gone away yet at least.

"I - I guess it just made everything one-hundred percent real, not that I didn't already believe you by this point, but _fuck_ \- that could happen again Frank, I could die a second time - well, a third technically, or even worse, _you_ might, and I don't know what I will do if that happens," Gerard wailed softly, a single tear slipping down his cheek as he nuzzled into Frank's side, searching for comfort without actually asking for it in words.

"I won't deny that I am terrified of that too, because I _am_ Gee, but dwelling on it is pointless. We are together right now, and if we had stayed on Earth, we would have most likely died in one disaster or another very soon, but now we have a chance to do something about that. We can save everyone, and I chose to believe that we will make it through this - we _have_ to."

"My brain knows you are right, but I'm so afraid, I am honestly not sure if I can do this."

"Well I know you can, _fuck_ \- you are the strongest person I know. You didn't break under Lucifer's torture, you were brave enough to sneak out to be with an angel even though you knew you would be put to death if you were caught, you ran away from Hell, you fought a demon all on your own to protect your brother, even though you knew that you most likely wouldn't make it out of the situation alive -"

"Oh my god," Gerard exclaimed loudly, his body shooting upward so suddenly that Frank almost fell off the edge of the mattress in shock. "I have a _brother_ Frank - I have to go see Mikey."

"See, there is a good side to all of this, you wouldn't be able to remember him if you hadn't become a demon again," Frank grinned cheekily, Gerard's happiness infecting him instantly. He felt like an idiot for not mentioning Mikey sooner, but at least Gerard was smiling now, which had been Frank's goal this entire time.

"Okay - _fine_ , you are always right, now come on, let's go find him," Gerard huffed impatiently, literally bouncing up and down as he waited for Frank to join him, his excitement having already carried him to the door before Frank could finish extricating himself from the bed.

"God, I haven't seen you move this fast without coffee in ages," Frank grumbled under his breath, his affection for Gerard bleeding through his tone as his husband threaded his fingers through his, eagerly tugging Frank down the hallway even though he had no idea where he was going, but Frank didn't have the heart to correct him just yet, he was too busy enjoying the happiness that was practically radiating off of the older man who was soon to be reunited with his long lost brother.

~~~

Once Gerard have given up on his quest to randomly wander around Heaven in the hopes of bumping into Mikey somewhere, eventually allowing Frank to pull him in the direction of where he remembered Mikey's room to be, Gerard's initial enthusiasm began to wear off, his jubilation quickly seeping away as they got closer to their destination, a sudden case of nerves beginning to set in instead.

"Maybe this is a mistake Frank, what if he doesn't want to see me - what if he doesn't recognize me, what if -"

"Gerard - _seriously_ , I love you, but shut up. Mikey is probably dying to meet up with you again, so don't you dare talk yourself out of this now," Frank groaned in frustration, because Gerard had posed these same questions three times already, and Frank was getting tired of repeating the never changing answers over and over again.

"I - I haven't seen him for fifteen years, _fuck_ \- I didn't even know he was an angel until today. I am freaking out here okay? This is like our high school reunion all over again," Gerard protested feebly, his footsteps dragging as Frank stopped in front of what he hoped was the entrance to Mikey's quarters. His memory of Heaven's layout wasn't as strong as it used to be, but unless he had gotten completely turned around, he was fairly certain they were in the right spot.

"You are being ridiculous, I hope you know that," Frank sighed fondly, dragging Gerard the last few feet until he was standing by his side, "so if you are done listing off lame excuses, let's go see Mikey."

"Wait Frank - I'm not ready, he might not even be here you know, so let's -"

Gerard was cut off mid-sentence once again, but this time, it wasn't by Frank, but by the door they had been loitering in front of opening quickly, revealing a thin angel with mousy brown hair who they now both recognized as Mikey himself, his unexpected appearance rendering both men speechlessly as Mikey stared down at them with an unreadable expression on his face.

" _Gee_ \- is that you?" Mikey was the first one to break the awkward silence, his voice quavering significantly as he eyed Gerard up and down slowly as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing without taking a second look.

"Yeah - hi Mikes," Gerard answered sheepishly, his lips turning upward at the use of the nickname that he had only just regained his recollection of today.

" _Oh my god_..." Mikey choked out, his eyes widening in surprise as Gerard shuffled in place nervously. Frank took a discrete step backward, trying to give the two brother's some semblance of privacy without actually leaving them alone, knowing that this was something Gerard needed to do without Frank hovering over him like a protective parent as was his habit.

And just when Frank thought he should probably take the initiative and say something, because both Gerard and Mikey had remained eerily silent for at least a minute now, Mikey moved suddenly, his thin arms wrapping around Gerard in a forceful embrace that nearly toppled him over with its intensity.

"I missed you," Gerard murmured softly, returning Mikey's affectionate gesture as Frank smiled widely from the sidelines.

"Fucking missed you more," Mikey responded in a choked tone of voice, his usual composed expression breaking apart as his eyes glazed over with a light sheen of tears that mirrored Frank's, but this time, they were caused by happiness, and Frank made sure to file this moment away in his mind forever in the hopes of overshadowing the terrible memories that both he and Gerard were struggling with, but right now, those unpleasantries were all forgotten, and Frank knew that he would gladly witness a thousand more horrors as long as the last image he saw before he closed his eyes was Gerard smiling as widely as he was right now.


	18. Mending And Renewing

Frank settled into a more comfortable position on the only chair in Mikey's room, leaving Gerard and his brother to occupy the bed, trying to hide his wide grin from the two as they chattered away, catching up on all of the things they had missed while they had been separated.

Mikey had pulled himself from Gerard's hug to give Frank one of his own earlier, but after greeting him, he had quickly returned his attention to Gerard, and Frank was more than content to observe this reunion from the sidelines, so he let them talk, their words flowing over him as the corners of his mouth stretched upward without his consent.

Frank tried to keep up with their conversation, but they bounced from one topic to the next with no warning, some connection they shared allowing the brothers to keep pace with each other easily, but Frank didn't possess the necessary gene needed to follow their rapidly expunged sentences, so he quickly found himself very confused, even though he had been there for most of what Gerard was speaking about.

Frank settled for watching instead, keeping himself entertained by examining the way both of the men used elaborate hand gestures to punctuate their stories, sometimes ending their point with knowing looks that Frank assumed must be another layer to the brotherly language they had created.

Frank had almost forgotten what it was like to see the two of them interact, but now he found himself recalling the days when they had lived together in that small lodge in the mountains, and even though Mikey had been sick for a large majority of their stay there, those had still been some of the happiest moments of Frank's combined lives.

The siblings avoided the darker topics that inundated the air around them, choosing to highlight the happiness they had both experienced instead. Gerard told Mikey about how much better his second time being a human was, crediting Frank for most of that, which _of course_ caused Frank to blush profusely when Mikey's gaze turned to him for a brief moment, a thankful look gracing his thin face before he looked away once more.

Frank had always wondered what Gerard had been like during his first life; they had never spoken of it much before, but Frank knew that Gerard had ended up killing himself, so he could only assume he had suffered through a miserable existence, and as curious as Frank was now that his brain had stumbled onto the topic, he wouldn't pry, because if Gerard didn't want to speak of it, then Frank was fine with not knowing, it didn't matter now anyway, and he would hate to cause Gerard any needless pain by bringing it up.

Mikey was less keen to talk about his time away from Gerard, even though Gerard refused to let him get away with short answers, finally making Mikey explain in great detail how he got transformed into an angel and what it had felt like, even getting Mikey to spill a bit about his on again, off again relationship with Ray, although Mikey looked hilariously uncomfortable discussing his love life with his older brother.

Eventually, they were interrupted by a soft knocking on the door, and when Frank pulled it open, he found Brendon and Billie Joe standing behind it, both of them pulling Frank into a quick embrace before entering the rapidly crowding room.

"I thought we would find you here," Brendon smirked knowingly, sending Gerard and Mikey a kind look before continuing, "Billie started freaking out when you weren't in your room, he thought you had run away or something else ridiculous like that."

"I was not _'freaking out'_ ," Billie huffed in an affronted manner, "I was simply worried, that was all. God informed me that they would be in their quarters, and when they weren't, I could only assume that something bad had happened."

"Well Mr. Smarty pants, you should have figured out that Mikey would run to Gerard as soon as you took your eyes off of him, you have been the one keeping him contained this whole time," Brendon fired back, causing Mikey to blush a startling shade of red while mumbling something about _'being just fine without a babysitter thank you very much'_.

"Actually, I came here looking for him once I remembered I had a brother," Gerard chuckled ruefully, his hand landing on Mikey's shoulder as he spoke, "was I not supposed to?"

"No, it is fine," Billie Joe insisted after shooting Brendon an irritated glare, inciting Frank to wonder how long they had been arguing about this, and what exactly Brendon had said to piss Billie off so much. "We just didn't want to overwhelm you with everything all at once, so I advised Mikey to stay away from you until you had regained your memories, but now you have them back, so there is no problem."

"Well as lovely as it is to see you two again, I assume you are here to fix my wing?" Frank spoke up, silently debating on if he should release his appendages now, or maybe wait until he was in a space where he didn't risk knocking someone out if he moved too quickly.

"Yes I am." Billie nodded sharply, ignoring Gerard's sudden rush of questions about how he could heal something that had been broken over fifteen years ago, as well as if he could watch, the older man only quieting down when Frank shushed him softly.

"Okay, give me a second." Frank maneuvered himself so he was facing the wall before unleashing his pinions, giving Billie Joe easy access to the damaged bone without having to push past too many people.

"Hold still," Billie murmured, his hands coming up to grasp at the base of Frank's wing, but instead of the burn of Holy Fire that Frank had been expecting to feel, Billie suddenly twisted his digits, snapping the already damaged marrow until it hung limply by his side.

" _Motherfucker_ \- can't you give a guy some warning?" Frank cursed loudly, his eyes tearing up as a hot rush of pain shot down his spine, the feeling intensifying every time his broken pinion twitched reflexively. Frank heard Gerard protesting angrily behind him, but Mikey managed to calm him down, assuring Gerard that Frank would be fine in a few minutes if they let Billie Joe be.

"It wouldn't have made it hurt any less," Billie shrugged while maneuvering the wing back into its proper position, motioning to Brendon to hold it in place for him so he could finish the job.

"I guess I deserved that for pointing a gun at you the other night," Frank groaned weakly, his limbs shaking as he felt a familiar heat coming from Billie's palms which were now pressed against his shoulder. "Sorry about that by the way."

" _Wait_ \- when did this happen?" Gerard exclaimed sharply.

"Oh yeah...I forgot to mention that when I got my memories back, Brendon and Billie had the bright idea of breaking into our house, and I had to protect you." Frank attempted to wink in Gerard's direction, but it came out as more of a grimace instead.

"My hero," Gerard giggled softly.

" _Hey_ \- how were we supposed to go about getting you alone?" Brendon spoke up suddenly. "I mean, it worked out okay in the end right?"

"Oh yeah - sneaking into my place in the middle of the night was a brilliant plan, I could have shot you, so just be luckily I didn't go all trigger happy on your asses."

"It was perfectly understandable reaction, you had no idea who we were, so you assumed it was an intruder," Billie raised the volume of his voice so he could be heard over Frank's loud hiss of pain as he began to knit the muscle and bones back the way they were intended to be.

"God damn it Billie, just say you forgive me and hurry the fuck up already," Frank whined, his limbs shaking as he tried to pretend that the pain he was experiencing wasn't affecting him nearly as much as it truly was, even though Frank knew he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Of course I forgive you, you are my friend," Billie answered instantly, causing Frank to smile through his tears at the fact that Billie still considered him a friend after all this time, because he knew that Billie didn't have many of those, or he _didn't_ at least, and Frank was honored to be counted among them. "Okay - all done," Billie announced after a few more moments had passed, stepping away from Frank so he could flex his newly healed wing gratefully as soon as the last stinging aftereffects of the Holy Fire had faded.

"How does it look?" Frank questioned warily, because as far as he could tell, Mikey's room didn't contain a mirror, and even though everything felt pretty good from his end, he needed visual confirmation to be sure.

"Absolutely perfect," Gerard exhaled proudly before standing up from the mattress and pulling Frank into a tight hold. "Are you okay?" Gerard murmured against the top of Frank's head, his eyes glancing over to Billie suspiciously in a way that had Frank chuckling deep in his chest.

"I'm fine love, the bones had to be broken if I wanted them to heal correctly, I just wasn't expecting it," Frank reassured his husband, not mentioning the fact that he had assumed that Billie's skill in healing had surpassed such simplistic measures, but he had restored his wing, which was something no one else had been able to do before Frank had left Heaven to be with Gerard.

"Okay..." Gerard sighed, his arms tightening around Frank for one more moment before he released him.

"Thank you for this Billie." Frank turned toward the dark haired angel who had stolen Gerard's spot on the bed in his absence, exhaustion causing his shoulders to slump downward slightly as he shot Frank a weak smile.

"You are welcome, it was good practice too. My powers have improved quite a bit since the last time we talked, but healing still isn't my best area, and it always leaves me feeling awful afterward, but I'm getting better at it."

"Well you did an incredible job," Frank insisted, his weakened muscles inspiring him to slip down onto the floor so he could rest for a bit, Gerard joining him instantly since Brendon had stolen Frank's chair as well.

"So..." Gerard spoke up, a hesitant edge prevalent in his tone as his eyes darted toward each individual in the room nervously before he continued, "since Mikey got turned into an angel, do you think it is at all possible that I can be as well? I've always wanted to be one, and I know it might sound like I'm being ungrateful, but I just wanted to ask. I probably should have brought this up in front of God, but I was a bit intimidated," Gerard spat out all at once, his gaze finally landing on Frank after he had expelled the question that Frank now knew he had been holding inside his head for quite some time.

"Well...it is _doable_ ," Brendon answered slowly, but Gerard seemed to miss the reluctance in his tone if the way his eyes lit up meant anything, "but for the events of the prophecy to be fulfilled, we need you as you are. It specifically states that an angel and a demon in love must be involved, and you and Frank are the only two who fit the bill, so until this is all over, you are stuck with those black wings and claws."

"Oh, well that's fine," Gerard sighed softly, his lips twitching upward when Frank placed a comforting hand on his spine to soothe him, "but it might be feasible later on right?"

"Oh yes," Billie Joe nodded eagerly, "in fact, I am pretty sure you won't even have to ask. God would love to have you officially on our side, plus most of us already see you as an angel anyway."

"Really?" Gerard practically beamed, his earlier disappointment sloughing off of him like a second skin under the strength of Billie's compliment.

"Of course, you are family Gerard, and your race doesn't change that," Brendon smiled as Mikey grinned encouragingly from behind him.

"Okay, enough about me," Gerard giggled sheepishly, his cheeks heating up at all of the attention that was being placed on him. "So now what? Do we go fight the Leviathan and hope for the best?"

"Actually no, although I wish it was that easy. The Leviathan is an incredibly powerful monster, and even the combined might of Heaven and Hell won't be able to kill it unaided," Brendon explained, cutting Billie Joe off who had also opened his mouth to answer. "The only way to wound it is with the sword of Michael, so our first step will be to retrieve that from its hiding place." Frank hummed softly in assent, now recalling how Brendon had explained this to him when he had first regained his memories, but the occurrence had been buried underneath the sudden rush to arrive in Heaven and be transformed back to his original state, only Brendon's utterance reminding him of this vital step that they would have to complete if they had any chance of success.

"Where is it?" Frank cut in with his own question, because as far as he knew, Michael's infamous sword had been lost for ages, but apparently that was no longer the case, and he didn't think that Brendon had shared that information with him the last time they had spoken about this.

"It is hidden somewhere atop Cloudripper Mountain, but I am still unsure about its exact location, only you and Gerard can find it. Michael didn't want anyone to stumble across that powerful of a weapon unless the world truly needed it, and apparently he was aware of the seventh prophecy as well, so he filled the area with traps that are only passable by an angel and demon working together."

"Well that sounds like a pain in the ass," Frank grumbled jokingly, clutching his side in a fake show of pain when Gerard elbowed him in retaliation for his statement.

"Oh come on Frank, it's like a treasure hunt," Gerard argued, causing Frank to roll his eyes lovingly at his adventure seeking husband.

"Mhmm, whatever you say baby," Frank chuckled, trying to block out Brendon's giggles at their display of affection. "So when do we leave?"

"We still have a bit of time," Billie Joe cut in before Brendon could speak, leaving Frank giggling quietly at their odd rivalry that he hadn't been aware existed until today. "You both need to get reacquainted with your wings, and I am still trying to see if I can discover what pitfalls Michael put in place before we walk blindly into this, but we should probably head out by the end of the week at the latest."

" _Ooh_ \- can we go flying now?" Gerard asked eagerly, his gaze falling on Frank as he transformed his face into a pleading expression that Frank could never say no to.

"I can take you if you want," Mikey offered quickly when neither Brendon or Billie responded right away.

"I have to get back to Ryan, but I'll ask if he wants to come out with you guys in a bit," Brendon spoke up, vacating his seat so he could head to his room in search of his boyfriend.

"Well I am going to return to my books, I will be in the library if anyone needs me," Billie declined the offer to stretch his wings, but Gerard was already halfway out of the door by this point, ignoring Mikey's calls for him to wait for a moment so he could show him the way outside.

"Frank," Billie spoke up, pausing Frank as he prepared to dash after his overexcited husband.

"Hmm?"

"I just wanted to say, I have never seen you this happy, and I am really glad you got Gerard back."

Frank swallowed heavily, the urge to beg Billie Joe to tell him if he could see if either he or Gerard were going to die in the near future rising up suddenly, but with it came a nearly overwhelming wave of fear, and Frank realized that he didn't want to know the future, because he had learned from experience that it wasn't something that could be changed, and Frank would much rather spend whatever time he had left with Gerard completely oblivious to the potentially impending ending of their story.

"Thanks Billie, I am too," Frank smiled broadly, throwing away his query in favor of pulling Billie into a quick hug which he returned stiffly before trying to follow the sounds of Gerard's and Mikey's voices.

Billie's words rang loudly in his head as he went, because his friend was right, he _was_ happy, and even though he probably shouldn't be with the possible end of the world looming before them, Frank chose not to dwell on that right now, he would much rather enjoy taking to the air with the love of his life instead.


	19. I Meant To Move The Plot Along But You Guys Get Smut Instead

The week leading up to their departure passed by quickly in a flurry of activity involving learning as much as they could about the Leviathan, practicing flying and fighting as often as possible, as well as becoming reacquainted with everyone in Heaven that Frank hadn't seen in over fifteen years.

Frank's old skills came back to him easily, even though the same couldn't be said for Gerard, but Gerard hadn't had nearly as much time as a demon before his second death, while Frank had been an angel for almost eleven years, so using his wings again was instinctual.

Gerard eventually got a handle on staying airborne, but he was miserable at using a sword, his own claws were a much better weapon of choice for him, which meant that Frank would be wielding Michael's sword when the time came, which would probably be better for the both of them since it was forged by angels, and more often than not, those items would burn the skin of any demon who attempted to touch them.

Frank spent the scant amounts of free moments he had with Billie Joe in the library, attempting to prepare himself for what they were about to walk into, but neither of them could find a detailed report about the traps that Michael had placed around his sword, just the location of the mountain in which he had hidden it. Billie had taken a journey to the site on his own earlier to see if his eyes would tell him more than the books they had pawed through did, but after searching for two days, he hadn't been able to find the entrance, finally deciding that it would only reveal itself to the people who were supposed to open it.

There were a million other minute things to do that didn't specifically involve Frank and Gerard's quest, and although Frank knew he should focus on his own task so he didn't end up overwhelmed, he couldn't help but try and get involved in a little bit of everything. There were numerous teams of angels and friendly demons circling the globe in an attempt to minimize the destruction caused by the disasters the Leviathan was inciting, the demons being headed by Bob, who Frank hadn't gotten a chance to see since he had been back given the fact that he was apparently in Somalia at the moment tracking the Leviathan. The angels were led by Kellin and Vic, who were also otherwise occupied in Japan and hadn't returned to Heaven in quite some time.

Frank managed to restrain himself from joining one of their missions so he could see first-hand what was happening on Earth, not that he needed to after the earthquake he and Gerard had lived through, but _still_ , Frank couldn't help but be curious. Instead, he settled for reading the reports that constantly poured in detailing each separate event, realizing that the news coverage he used to watch while he had still been human hadn't caught even half of the horrible things that were occurring around the world.

Gerard was keeping himself occupied as well, although he quickly grew bored of pouring over files with Frank, usually wandering off to find Mikey within the first half hour, or to go practice flying some more. Even though Gerard didn't say the words aloud, Frank knew he was terrified that he was going to slow everyone down with his lack of experience, and no matter how often Frank reassured him that everything would be fine, the worried cast to Gerard's expression rarely left his face lately.

Frank had pulled himself away from the library earlier than usual this evening, wanting to get a full night's rest before they left for Mount Cloudripper in the morning, and when he opened the door to his and Gerard's room, he was glad to see his husband already curled up in bed. Frank's smile quickly faded though when he observed Gerard's position; he had his knees tucked into his chest and his hands wrapped around his ribcage like he only did when he was upset about something.

Feeling a sudden rush of guilt for not making Gerard a larger priority over the past week, Frank quickly crawled onto the mattress, pulling Gerard against his torso as he mumbled a soft greeting, the corners of his lips turning upward when he felt Gerard instantly relax against him, his head burrowing into Frank's shoulder as he inhaled shakily.

"You okay love?" Frank murmured, his fingers carding through Gerard's now red hair gently, the new color still throwing Frank off slightly after so many years of nothing but black.

"Yeah, just thinking," Gerard replied after a long period of silence. "Everything is happening so fast you know...I'm still trying to process it."

"I understand," Frank agreed, but unlike Gerard, he almost needed to keep himself busy in order to prevent himself from pondering over everything he has gained and lost within the matter of a few days, finding solace in any activity that prevented him from mulling over the thousands of worries and fears that existed in his brain. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much," Frank apologized, even though Gerard hadn't brought up Frank's absence, but _still_ , Frank felt the need to say the words so Gerard would know that he wasn't intentionally abandoning him.

"It's okay sugar, you have a lot to do, and I'm not bothered by it." Gerard's tone didn't match up with his statement though, and Frank could tell that his husband was still upset, but now he needed to decipher if whatever was causing him distress had to do with Frank, or if it was simply all of the changes Gerard had been put through lately.

"Talk to me baby, what's wrong?" Frank pleaded, wanting Gerard to open up to him while they still had time to talk like this, because after tomorrow, they would most likely be too busy searching for the sword of Michael to delve into any sort of serious conversation.

"I - I guess I miss being human already," Gerard sniffled, pulling the blankets tighter around his frame as he spoke. "I want to be able to lie around all day and do nothing with you, to go out on dates again, to not have to worry about all of this. I know I'm being silly, and I'm trying to adjust to everything, but it's hard."

"Oh Gee," Frank whispered, encircling Gerard with his arms while he gathered his thoughts. "I wish I could give you that life again, and I miss it too, but for right now, we have to tough this out until the world is safe, and then I swear to you I will take you out, we can go wherever you want now, maybe even find a new house to call our own," Frank mused, because as wonderful as Heaven was, it wasn't a very homey place, and there was always the possibility of interruptions lurking around every corner.

Frank mentally promised himself that he would take Gerard back to the townhouse he had purchased ages ago once this was all over to see if he still enjoyed it there, a grin forming on his face as he recalled the few days he and Gerard had spent within its wall what seemed like ages ago now. "Everything will get better after we defeat the Leviathan, I promise."

"That sounds nice," Gerard answered, some of the sadness hanging over him dissipating as he snuggled closer to Frank's side. "I don't mean to seem ungrateful, and as long as I'm with you, I'm happy, I just feel out of place here."

"I know, but you are doing so well with handling everything." Frank ended his statement with a kiss, tugging Gerard's chin upward so he could connect their lips softly, a surprised gasp escaping from him when Gerard surged against him, deepening the action until their tongues were stroking against each other hungrily and Frank's lips were beginning to feel swollen and puffy.

Acting on instinct, Frank allowed his wings to emerge from his shoulder blades, covering Gerard with his feathers as their mouths continued to move against each other's, remembering how much Gerard loved being surrounded by his pinions when he was seeking any form of comfort.

Gerard smiled as they pulled apart, his eyes drifting upward so he could take in the sight of Frank's appendages, his fingers carding through them as he hummed in appreciation. Frank wasn't sure why Gerard was so enthralled by his wings, but he wasn't complaining, especially when having them touched released hot spikes of pleasures that shot down his spine with ever increasing frequency as Gerard moved closer and closer to the sensitive joints.

Frank bit his lip in an effort to trap the low moan that was forming in his throat as Gerard pressed his entire palm against the point where Frank's pinions attached to his back, his eyes fluttering shut when Gerard applied more pleasure, but not before he caught the mischievous smirk on Gerard's face which meant that he knew how much he was affecting Frank.

"This is one thing we couldn't do when we were human," Gerard chuckled huskily, the sound turning Frank on even more than he already was, his hips jolting forward as Gerard shifted slightly, giving himself a better angle which ended up with Frank practically straddling Gerard's lap.

" _Fuck_ Gee," Frank stuttered out, his body tensing as Gerard began to grind against him slowly, the added stimulation against his rapidly swelling cock heightening everything Frank was feeling to a whole new level of intensity. "I need more," Frank begged.

"Take off your clothes," Gerard suggested, removing his hands from Frank's wings before sitting up on his knees, tugging his shirt over his head as Frank hastily stripped away the confining material surrounding his now overheated skin.

"Are you going to fuck me?" Frank asked, his need for Gerard tripling as Gerard finished removing his pants, revealing his perfect frame to Frank's roving eyes.

" _Actually_ ," Gerard hesitated, his enlarged pupils drinking in Frank's body as Frank did the same to his, "I've always wanted to see if I can finish you like this," Gerard murmured, stroking over Frank's feathers slowly, which released another violent shiver from Frank in response. "I meant to try it before, but we never had the time."

Frank gasped as Gerard's proposition sunk in, and even though he wasn't sure if he could actually come without any other sort of stimulation, he was willing to try it, and in his current aroused state, it probably wouldn't take him long at all if Gerard kept touching him in this fashion.

"Yeah - okay," Frank nodded in agreement, settling back down in Gerard's lap when he patted his thighs in invitation, groaning loudly as their cocks brushed together, threading his fingers through Gerard's hair so he could pull him in for another kiss, his spine arching backward when Gerard's fingers began probing at his wing joints again.

Frank couldn't maintain the connection of their mouths for long, so he threw his head back after a few minutes, crying out louder than he probably should have as Gerard massaged the skin around his pinions, pinching the base of them roughly when Frank whimpered in need.

"So gorgeous Frankie," Gerard hissed, a sheen of sweat beginning to coat his body as he ground against Frank slowly, rubbing his dick into Frank's belly with a soft moan of his own.

"Gee - _oh god._ " Frank cut himself off with a strangled sound that he had never heard himself produce before, his cock throbbing wildly where it was pressed against Gerard's torso. "Feels so good," Frank whined, the heat pooling in his belly already reaching a dangerous height, and even though he was almost embarrassed by the fact, he knew he was going to come soon.

Frank couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, so he allowed his lids to close, the lack of vision heightening everything he was experiencing to a new level of ecstasy. Frank didn't understand why having his wings touched in this way felt so amazing, because he didn't receive the same results when he idly ran his own hands through them, but he wasn't going to waste his brain cells pondering the semantics of the act, not when he was only seconds away from the best orgasm of his life.

"You're close aren't you?" Gerard asked, a tint of awe coloring his voice with a golden shade, infused with a bit of pride woven into the whispered question.

Frank tried to respond with words, but instead of a coherent sentence, a desperate keening noise emitted from his throat instead, his body arching forward as Gerard pulled Frank against him roughly, his fingers stroking Frank's sensitive spot rapidly as Frank all but collapsed against Gerard's torso, mouthing messily at his husband's neck as the pleasure inside of him coiled higher and higher.

Frank had never felt anything like this before; he was nothing but ecstasy, his blood was being replaced with liquid sensations that were quickly pumping to every one of his organs, his muscles trembling and his bones aching as his pulse jumped under his skin, a plethora of obscene sounds falling past his spit coated lips as Gerard whispered encouragements in his ear, broken up by his own breathy moans whenever Frank's hips bucked forward into his.

And just when Frank didn't think he couldn't take any more, he finally snapped, something that sounded more like a sob than anything else escaping his mouth as he came violently, his entire body shuddering harshly as he spurted across Gerard's stomach, his orgasm lasting for ages as Gerard pressed down heavily against his spine until Frank was empty, his body slumping downward against Gerard, exhaustion bleeding in to take the place of the pleasure he had just experienced, lingering aftershocks still wracking his frame caused by Gerard's hands which were still touching his joints.

" _Holy fuck_ ," Frank whimpered when he could speak again, forcing his eyes to open so he could help Gerard before he was unable to move any longer.

"Oh my god Frank, that was so fucking hot," Gerard groaned, his cock jumping in Frank's palm when he wrapped his hand around it, using his come in substitution for lube as he stroked Gerard quickly.

"Yeah, _shit_..." Frank agreed breathlessly, pushing Gerard back onto the pillows so he could bring his mouth into play, sucking on the head of Gerard's dick wetly before sinking all the way down, swallowing thickly around him as Gerard gasped loudly.

"Gonna come sugar," Gerard warned him, not that Frank needed the verbal affirmation. He could already feel Gerard beginning to swell against his stretched lips, and he knew his husband's body well enough by now to know when he was close to losing it.

So with a hum of contentment, Frank continued his up and down motions, pressing his tongue against the underside of Gerard's cock as he went, and it was only seconds later that Gerard was crying out noisily, his spine arching off of the bed as he shot down Frank's throat, his hands gently stroking Frank's hair as he cleaned Gerard off thoroughly.

" _Wow_ ," Frank heaved out, collapsing against the mattress with a soft thump, his limbs still shaking slightly as he attempted to ground himself after such a mind blowing orgasm. "We are definitely doing that again sometime soon."

"Hell yes," Gerard chuckled at Frank's statement, cleaning his stomach off quickly with one of their discarded shirts before pulling Frank against him, dragging the covers over their naked bodies as Frank snuggled into his side gratefully.

"I love you so fucking much," Frank yawned sleepily, trying to fight off the fog coating his brain for a little while longer so he could enjoy this moment with his husband.

"And not just because I give you amazing orgasms right?" Gerard teased, placing a light kiss on the tip of Frank's nose after his question.

"Well that is definitely a bonus," Frank chuckled, his eyes drifting shut without his consent, "but you know it's not just that."

"I do, and I love you too," Gerard murmured, his breathing growing steadier with every passing second, and Frank knew he was falling asleep as well.

So with a soft smile plastered onto his face, Frank surrendered to his body's wishes, spending his last night before their mission truly began wrapped in Gerard's arms with his body heat warming his bare skin, his presence erasing all of the worries and fears involving what tomorrow would bring, allowing Frank to slip into oblivion with an ease that had been eluding him more often than not lately.


	20. In Which Hugging Saves The Day

Brendon woke Frank at the crack of dawn, his high pitched shriek snapping Frank out of his pleasant dreams abruptly, confusion fogging his mind as he tried to ascertain what the fuck was going on, only to realize that he was still very naked, which explained Brendon's startled exclamation.

"Fuck off Brendon," Frank grumbled irritably, halfheartedly covering himself with the discarded blanket before snuggling back into Gerard's side. Gerard hadn't been disturbed at all by the noise Brendon was producing, and the fact that his husband still slept like the dead brought a small smile to Frank's face, inducing a sense of normalcy that had been severely lacking in Frank's life lately.

"God Frank - are you allergic to clothes or some shit?" Brendon asked, his tone an equal mixture of amusement and disgust as he made his way further into the small room now that Frank was in a better state of modesty.

"I'm not the one who decided to barge into someone else's private quarters without any warning," Frank shot back, dragging the pillow over his head in a pointless attempt at blocking out Brendon's presence entirely.

"Actually, I've been knocking for the past minute or so," Brendon sniffed in an affronted manner. "Haven't your bodies adjusted to not needing sleep yet?"

"Guess not," Frank shrugged, because although he knew that he would be able to function if he pushed through his tiredness, he still craved rest like a human. Frank had no idea how much time it would take his angelic essence to acclimate back to what it used to be, and given the fact that he was going to leave Heaven soon, it would probably be longer than he had originally thought.

"Well I'm not leaving until you get up, we are departing in an hour, and I don't think this expedition will work if the two people who have to go are lazing around in bed," Brendon huffed, ignoring the middle finger Frank flung in his direction in the way of a response. "I'm not kidding Frank," Brendon groaned.

"Give me five more minutes, we will meet you guys in the main foyer," Frank grumbled, not wanting to get up quite yet, even though he knew he needed to.

"Fine, but if you are late, I'm coming back here and dragging you out of bed, _naked_ or not."

"Your lack of faith in me is disturbing," Frank chuckled softly, stroking his hands absentmindedly down Gerard's bare sides as he spoke.

"Well prove me wrong then," Brendon retorted, but before Frank could think of a witty reply, Brendon had turned his back and was exiting the room, muttering under his breath about how he had seen more cock today than he was planning on, causing Frank's cheeks to blush slightly in embarrassment now that he was coherent enough to realize that Brendon had indeed gotten a glimpse of certain areas of his body that he wasn't too keen on exposing to anyone that wasn't Gerard.

Wanting to distract himself from the fact that Brendon had viewed his dick, not to mention he would probably fall back asleep soon if he didn't move, Frank decided to begin the arduous task that was awakening his stubborn husband, knowing that if he didn't start now, they would be dealing with more of Brendon very soon, and Frank wasn't really in the mood to put up with him any more than he already had.

"Gee...baby, it's time to wake up," Frank cooed, nuzzling Gerard's neck slightly in the hopes of gently bringing him back to consciousness, but _of_ _course_ , Gerard didn't stir at all. "Come on love." Frank raised the volume of his voice a bit, threading his fingers through Gerard's tangled hair while shifting his position so he was now situated fully on Gerard's lap.

"Mhmm..." Gerard groaned, his eyelids fluttering slightly and his hands clenching into fists at his side. "Go 'way."

"Not this time, we've got to go save the world remember," Frank grinned, tickling Gerard's ribs lightly in the process, producing an indignant squeak from the other man.

" _Fine_ \- I'm awake, don't fucking do that," Gerard pouted as he attempted to twist his torso to the right, trying to knock Frank from his position, but his efforts failed miserably.

"Do what?" Frank smirked mischievously, digging the pads of his fingers against Gerard's skin a little harder, his teeth showing through his lips as Gerard squealed loudly.

"Okay - I surrender, please stop," Gerard gasped breathlessly, untangling his arms from the sheets before wrapping himself around Frank, pinning him to his chest so Frank couldn't get the proper leverage to continue his impromptu assault.

"Only if you kiss me," Frank winked, puckering his mouth up obnoxiously, ignoring the way Gerard rolled his eyes at him.

"I don't know..." Gerard pretended to look torn, his thumb tapping at his chin as he did his best to hold back the laughter Frank could feel bubbling in his chest. "You have pretty bad morning breath."

"Well you don't exactly smell like flowers yourself," Frank snorted, shoving Gerard lightly in the shoulder for his rude comment.

"Fuck you - I smell like a field of daisies."

"Just kiss me you asshole," Frank whined, morphing his face into a wide eyed expression that he knew Gerard could never resist.

And he was right, because not two seconds later, Gerard's hands were tangling around the back of his neck, dragging their mouths together into a slow kiss. Frank sighed happily as the familiar sparks began shooting down his spine, his muscles relaxing as Gerard's tongue slid against his in a slow cadence.

"There - happy now?" Gerard giggled when they pulled apart, his eyes glittering brightly once he had shaken off the last dregs of sleep which had clouded them earlier.

"Yes, but now we really have to get dressed. Brendon has already been in here once, and I'm not too keen on the idea of him seeing my dick twice in one day."

"He better not look at it again, that's for my eyes only," Gerard growled lowly, his sudden rush of jealousy leaving Frank shaking with suppressed humor, loving the way Gerard would never stop being possessive over him even after all of this time.

"Of course love, now put some clothes on before he comes back and gets an eyeful of yours too."

~~~

It ended up taking them over two hours to leave, which wasn't entirely Frank or Gerard's fault, even though they weren't exactly punctual with their arrival, but Brendon added to it by having a lengthy goodbye with Ryan, and then Mikey showed up and delayed things even more. It was only thanks to Billie Joe that they even left at all, his subtle comments and frustrated sighs finally inspiring everyone to pull apart and allow the ones appointed to head for Cloudripper Mountain to depart.

It had been decided a few days ago that only Frank, Gerard, Billie Joe, and Brendon would be making the journey. This wasn't supposed to be a large ordeal, and everyone else had other tasks to keep them occupied in Heaven, not to mention a large party might attract unwanted attention that they definitely didn't need.

According to Billie, if everything went smoothly, which was a big _if_ , retrieving the sword shouldn't take long, hopefully a day or two at most, but the worried looks Ryan kept shooting them before they took to the air coupled with the way Mikey wouldn't stop chewing on his bottom lip had Frank apprehensive and unsure of how accurate Billie's original guess was going to be.

It was too late to worry about anything now though, and Frank didn't want to let his mind wander down all of the dark paths presented before it. This wasn't anything particularly dangerous, not compared to what they had been through together in the past, and it was nowhere near as perilous as their looming fight with the Leviathan would be, so Frank did his best to relax, enjoying the sensation of the air flowing through his wings as the atmosphere turned colder the closer they got to their destination.

Frank's eyes kept wandering to Gerard as they went, partially to make sure that he was keeping up with the swifter angels, but also just because he liked looking at him. This demon version of Gerard was so different than his human appearance; his red hair stood out against his pale skin, startling bright compared to the black shade that Frank had become so familiar with, his body carried scars that he hadn't been burdened with before, not to mention the skeletal wings that protruded from his shoulders, but it was still Gerard - his _husband_ , and even though Frank never had any doubts before, he felt reassured by the fact that he still loved Gerard just as much, if not _more_ than he had before, and he knew that he always would, no matter what happened to them in the future.

In what seemed to be no time at all, but it very well could have been hours, Frank wasn't really keeping track of the passing minutes, Billie yelled over the rushing wind that Cloudripper Mountain was before them, motioning with his hands that they should land in order to plan their next move.

Frank shivered slightly when his feet touched the snow covered surface they alit on, instinctually shifting closer to Gerard for warmth. Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank once he was within range, turning toward Billie Joe as they waited for him to instruct them on what to do now that they had arrived.

"Well, as I've said before, I've searched for the entrance to wherever Michael stored his sword, but I have had no luck finding it. I'm hoping that the two of you will be able to do what I could not. All I know is that it is in a cave somewhere near the peak, but it is sealed off, making the task of locating it difficult," Billie Joe explained, his frustration at not being able to discover what they were looking for on his own bleeding through in his tone.

"So what...we just fly in circles until we spot something that looks like a secret cavern which holds a powerful weapon?" Frank asked through his chattering teeth, the prospect of wandering around in the bitter cold while crossing their fingers that they would stumble upon Michael's hiding place sounded anything but appealing right now, even though Frank knew they didn't really have a choice.

"Unless you have a better idea," Brendon shrugged nonchalantly, scuffing at the ground idly with his toe as he spoke.

"I think I might know where it is," Gerard cut in suddenly, his interjection surprising Frank but exciting him as well. "I feel sort of _weird_ , like there is something tugging at me...it's coming from that direction." Gerard pointed upward and toward the left, a dazed look crossing over his face as he concentrated on whatever sensation he was currently experiencing.

"That makes sense," Billie Joe mused, "Gerard is the only one of us that isn't an angel, so there must be something in the cave that calls to his demon side. If we hadn't brought him, this entire endeavor would have failed, highlighting the need for an angel _and_ a demon in the prophecy, and -"

"I think we get it," Brendon broke up Billie Joe's unnecessary explanation, shaking his wings quickly to rid them of the light layer of snow that had accumulated upon them. "So what are we waiting for, lead the way Gerard."

Gerard nodded once before taking to the air, glancing back to make sure that everyone was following him before heading higher, pausing at random intervals along the way, supposedly to make sure that whatever internal compass he was guiding them by was accurate. Frank kept silent as Gerard searched, not wanting to put any more pressure on his husband than he was already under.

After about half an hour, Gerard slowed his pace, eyeing an indented area in front of them before landing on the rocky outcropping jutting out from the side of the mountain. Frank, Brendon, and Billie Joe quickly joined him, even though Frank couldn't see anything unique about this particular spot, but he trusted Gerard, and if Gerard thought this was the right place, that was good enough for Frank.

"I am pretty sure it's here, something is almost vibrating behind this wall," Gerard murmured, moving closer to the surface so he could begin to scrape away the layer of ice and sleet covering it, extending his claws slightly to make his job a bit easier.

Frank and Brendon tried to help him the best that they could, but without their own sharp appendages, they weren't much assistance. Billie Joe hung back, surveying the area and taking notes in a small book he had brought with him so he could document their journey.

" _Look_ ," Brendon exclaimed when a particularly large chunk of snow fell away, revealing a strange carving that had been hidden from their eyes before. "You were right, this has to be it." Gerard beamed proudly at Brendon's words, and Frank knew that he was ecstatic over the fact that he had been the one to discover the entrance.

Inspired by their success, they redoubled their efforts to unearth the wall until the entire piece was exposed. Frank squinted his eyes heavily, trying to decipher what he was viewing, but as far as he could tell, it was nothing more than a conglomeration of scribbles and oblong shapes.

"So...what now?" Frank questioned warily, the thrill of their arrival wearing off when nothing else immediately happened.

"This is an ancient language..." Billie Joe whispered, more to himself than anyone else, "Elamite maybe?" Billie continued to mutter under his breath, leaving the rest of them with nothing to do besides for huddle together in the hopes of producing some sort of body heat, _well_ \- Frank and Gerard did at least. Brendon's angelic form wasn't as affected by the chill in the air as theirs were, and Frank found himself wishing that his essence would hurry the fuck up and restore itself so he wouldn't be bothered by such things anymore.

"What does it say?" Frank finally broke the silence, his stiff hands and frozen toes adding a bite to his voice that he didn't intend to be there.

"I don't know...this isn't a dialect I am entirely familiar with. There is some sort of warning here, and I think this word is _'embrace'_...I would need to return to Heaven to get a full translation though."

"Well this sucks," Gerard sighed, leaning back against the adjacent wall wearily, and Frank agreed with him. He really just wanted to get this whole ordeal over with, but apparently that wasn't in the cards for them today. Frank didn't like seeing Gerard so despondent though, so he shot him a weak smile, only for his jaw to drop open in shock when everything seemed to fall into place in his brain.

"Don't move," Frank commanded suddenly, startling Gerard with his stern tone as he peered at the decorated surface behind his husband.

" _Why_...do I have a giant bug on my shoulder or something?" Gerard whimpered, his eyes dancing around in a panicked fashion as he attempted to keep as still as possible.

"No - just stay there for a second." Frank turned to Billie, pulling his attention in Gerard's direction with a few rapid gestures. "Are you seeing what I am?"

"Hmm...yes," Billie agreed happily, a grin tugging at his lips as he noticed what Frank had caught onto earlier. "Gerard, lift your wings slightly higher and spread them out a bit."

Gerard did as Billie asked, a puzzled expression pulling at his features the entire time, but once he had completed the simple task, it became apparent that the designs on the wall matched his pinions almost perfectly. The thicker lines surrounded the heavier ribbing on his appendages while the thin designs followed the smaller bones that protruded downward. There were still parts of the pattern that weren't filled, but Frank was almost certain that he knew how to occupy them.

"You said embrace right?" Frank waited for Billie Joe's nodded of affirmation before stepping closer to Gerard, wrapping his arms around his husband tightly before pressing his own wings into the free space, his feathers brushing against Gerard's pinions as they covered the area entirely with their bodies.

As soon as Frank settled into place, the vibrations that Gerard had mentioned feeling began to resonate in Frank's chest as well, followed by a sharp cracking sound that shocked everyone, causing Frank and Gerard to jump slightly as the granite they had been leaning on began to move. Frank could see from his vantage point over Gerard's shoulder that a rift had appeared over Gerard's head, and as he watched, the gap widened until a space large enough for two people to fit side by side emerged.

" _Holy shit_ ," Brendon gasped in awe. "Who knew hugging could open a secret passageway?"

"This is so fascinating," Billie Joe hummed, bypassing Frank and Gerard's conjoined bodies so he could examine the newly opened area more closely. "I wonder how that worked, I mean - the carving would have to be linked to some sort of mechanism, unless it is old magic...that would add an entirely new dimension to the making of this doorway."

"Well however it happened, at least we can go inside now," Gerard smiled, untangling himself from Frank's limbs so he could peer into the gloomy cave that was emitting a pleasant warmth that Frank was very grateful for.

"Yes - you two should go. Brendon and I will keep guard out here just in case, plus I doubt we would be allowed within. The prophecy clearly states that only one angel and one demon can complete this task, and we wouldn't want to ruin your chances of retrieving the sword with our presence. We should still be able to communicate mentally if anything goes wrong though."

"Okay...ready love?" Frank asked, grasping Gerard's icy hand in his reassuringly.

"As I'll ever be," Gerard nodded quickly, a hint of fear passing over his face before he pushed it away quickly.

With a last wave to Brendon and Billie Joe, Frank took the first step forward, gently pulling Gerard after him into the ominous darkness which was hiding whatever was waiting for them in the mysterious cavern.


	21. What Better Way To Prove You're In Love Than Fucking

Frank slowed his pace once they were fully immersed inside the cave, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. It wasn't completely dark, Frank could make out Gerard's figure with ease, but he couldn't see much beyond a few feet, and he was reluctant to keep walking until he knew what lay ahead of them.

The air around them was thick and muggy, and although Frank had been freezing not two minutes ago, he could already feel his hair beginning to stick to his neck with sweat. Pressing closer to Gerard's frame, Frank stopped moving completely. When he extended his senses, he became aware that the area around them was larger than it appeared, but he still had no idea if the floor was free of pitfalls or not.

"Please tell me you know what to do now?" Frank chuckled weakly, ignoring the damp quality of his palm which was still clutching Gerard's hand tightly.

"We go forward I think. That odd feeling is still pulling at me," Gerard murmured softly, his voice echoing oddly until it seemed as if the repeated syllables were raining down around them.

"Lead the way," Frank gestured, shifting his position so that Gerard was in front now instead of Frank. He could still faintly feel the sensation Gerard was talking about, and it got stronger when he was touching him, but he would rather rely on Gerard in this since he seemed to have a much better connection to whatever was leading them.

"What do you think is waiting for us?" Gerard asked as he took a careful step forward, shifting his feet slowly as he went. Frank stuck behind him like a second shadow, occasionally bumping into him when Gerard stopped sooner than Frank expected him too.

"I honestly don't know, but it can't be that bad - _right_?" Frank shrugged, although Gerard couldn't see it.

"I hope so," Gerard sighed, falling silent after that so he could save his concentration for navigating around the dimly lit room.

Frank prayed that his words wouldn't prove to be false, but he had faith in Michael. He couldn't imagine that the archangel would have purposely put them in danger, and if Billie Joe was correct and he and Gerard were the ones spoken of in the prophecy, they should have no trouble retrieving the sword in theory.

"Is it getting brighter in here, or is that just me?" Gerard spoke up after a long period of nothing besides their breathing breaking up the still air, snapping Frank out of his thoughts and back to the situation at hand.

"No - it is," Frank agreed, his neck craning back and forth as he registered the fact that there was indeed a light source coming from somewhere. The cave was still littered with dark patches, but it was becoming clearer by the second, allowing them to increase the speed of their forward motion by a fair margin.

The scenery was nothing special, in fact, it looked exactly like Frank would think a mountain cavern would. The ground they walked upon was made of dull gray stone interspersed with small cracks every few feet. The ceiling was dripping with stalactites, some so low that Frank began to get worried that Gerard was going to hit his head at a few points, but Gerard managed to avoid the few sharp points that came close without ever once looking up.

Frank peered over his shoulder, trying to find the door they had entered through, but the small entrance was already hidden from view, leaving Frank to wonder if they had traveled a much further distance than he had previously thought, or maybe they had made a turn somewhere that Frank had missed, which would explain why he could no longer locate their only exit from this place.

"Frank - _look_ ," Gerard gasped in awe, bringing Frank's attention to the wall in front of them instead of their surroundings.

Frank's jaw dropped open once he took in what was before them, his hold on Gerard's hand tightening as he stared at what might have been the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Blocking their path was a barrier that appeared to be made almost completely of gemstones in every size, shape, and color imaginable. The growing brightness that they had noticed before seemed to be focused on the jewels, highlighting each facet and shade in an ethereal way that had Frank borderline dizzy from the sheer perfection of it all.

"It's gorgeous," Frank managed to spit out after staring at the collage for at least a minute, his brain trying its best to comprehend the dizzying array of shades that it had never been exposed to before, "but why is this here?"

"I don't know, but isn't it lovely?" Gerard cooed, the tips of his fingers delicately stroking the area closest to him.

"This must be worth a thousand fortunes."

"No wonder Michael didn't want anyone finding this place," Gerard chuckled weakly.

"Yeah," Frank responded routinely, but as beautiful as the gems were, he couldn't ignore the point of their quest. "Still - why are these here, and how do we get around them?" Frank gestured widely, because as far as he could tell, the barricade of gems extended to both sides of them.

"My internal compass is pulling me over there," Gerard motioned to the left, but he seemed reluctant to move just yet, and Frank wasn't surprised. Gerard had always had a certain fondness for shiny things, so this was probably a dream come true for him.

"Come on love, Brendon and Billie are waiting for us remember?" Frank prodded his husband, biting back his grin as Gerard shot him a sheepish look.

"Of course, um - this way."

Frank followed after Gerard instantly, choosing not to comment on the way Gerard's gaze never once left the glittering wall, because his hardly ever did either. It was difficult to look away from the shining prisms of colored light that were reflected off of the many stones, and Frank knew that if they didn't have more pressing matters at hand, he could easily have wasted countless hours simply observing them.

Gerard paused in front of a small gap in the gems which hadn't been noticeable before. The space was filled with curving writing, the style of which was similar to the script which had graced the original entrance, but this sentence was in English, which Frank was very thankful for since he couldn't read Elamite.

" _Wonders surround you, but only one will unlock the way, remember the words and make your choice wisely_ ," Frank recited the text aloud, turning to Gerard once he had finished with a puzzled look on his face. "Did it have to be a riddle?" Frank sighed loudly, "I'm shit at them."

"We both are, I mean - neither of us realized what the seventh prophecy was about until Billie Joe told you," Gerard groaned, his eyes skimming over the short phrase once more, "but wait - I think I might know this one."

"What does it mean?" Frank pressed eagerly, not wanting to draw this out for a moment longer than they had to.

"Well I could be wrong, but do you see this?" Gerard pointed to a small indent directly underneath the carved words, waiting for Frank's nod of approval before continuing. "I assume a gem is supposed to go there, we just have to pick the right one."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Frank groaned, his hopes of a quick in and out mission evaporating in a puff of smoke as he glanced over the numerous possibilities surrounding them. "There are thousands of stones here - maybe _more_."

"It says _'remember the words'_..." Gerard repeated that phrase a few times before backing up slowly, his eyes searching the wall avidly while Frank waited patiently for his husband to explain what he was thinking. " _Ah-ha_ ," Gerard exclaimed happily, motioning for Frank to join him.

"What is it?" Frank asked once he had situated himself next to Gerard, not seeing anything unusual about the particular patch of gems Gerard had stopped in front of.

"Do you see this stone," Gerard gestured to the rock set into the wall which was level with their chest. "I noticed it before when we walked by, I thought it was odd how it had two tones to it when most of these seem to be primarily one color."

" _Okay_..." Frank drew out the one word, wracking his brain in an attempt to try and follow Gerard's logic, but he wasn't understanding the importance of the gem.

It did look a bit different than the others around it, Frank was aware of that now. At the top it was a dark shade, almost an obsidian color, but further down it began to transform into more of a golden sheen. The shape of the stone seemed like it might fit the hole underneath the script, but it was hard to tell if it was the correct one of not, and Frank was fearful of what would happen if they placed the wrong gem into the doorway.

"Well I could be totally off, but this whole cave was made to protect the sword from anyone besides for the two spoken about in the prophecy," Gerard murmured almost to himself, leaving Frank to strain his ears so he could catch what his husband was saying. "So if we follow that logic, the words are probably referring to part of the prophecy. I can't remember it all verbatim, but didn't one line say _'can darkness polish gold?'_ "

"Yeah it does," Frank smiled broadly, finally connecting the dots now that Gerard had laid them out for him. "It can't hurt to try it."

"But what if this isn't the right stone?" Gerard voiced Frank's earlier fears aloud, his hand hesitating over the gem as he waited for Frank's response.

"Well we don't have another option, and it would take weeks to look through the entire wall. Plus you seem to have a better sense about this place than I do, so if you think it's that one, then so do I."

"Okay..." Gerard sighed sharply before snagging the stone between the tips of his claws which he had just extended, tugging harshly until the gem came away from the granite surrounding it. Gerard clutched the small object in his palm tightly, doubling back toward the blank space as Frank trailed behind him. "Here goes nothing," Gerard grimaced as he placed the gem into the small indentation, and much to Frank's relief, it appeared to be a perfect fit.

"So -" Frank was cut off by a loud rumbling noise, the sound startling him so much he practically climbed up Gerard's back in an effort to get closer to him.

"What's going on?" Gerard whimpered when the spotlight that had been illuminating the expanse of gems was suddenly cut off, plunging them into a pitch black darkness that had Frank even more on edge than he already was.

"I don't know," Frank yelled back, having to raise his voice to be heard over the incessant screeching caused by the shifting rocks, and although Frank could no longer see, he assumed that the barrier in front of them was opening up in a similar fashion to the way that the original entrance had done when Frank and Gerard had pressed their wings against it. "Can you feel if the wall is still blocking our way?" Frank asked once things had quieted down again, the cave had stopped shaking at least, but their light source hadn't returned.

"I don't think so," Gerard answered, "I can move forward at least, and I feel a breeze coming from in front of us."

"Which way is your internal compass telling you to go?"

"Straight ahead," Gerard whispered fearfully, and Frank had to swallow thickly before finding his voice. He was terrified of what was awaiting them in the unknown room, especially since his sight was taken from him, but they had no choice but to continue onward.

"It's going to okay Gerard, just remember, Michael wants us to succeed here, but we can't give up now." Frank wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure his husband or himself, but honestly, it was probably a little bit of both.

"Yeah, of course," Gerard responded weakly, and although Frank could feel Gerard trembling in his hold, he took a step deeper into the darkness, and then another until Frank was able to feel the aforementioned chill to the air that Gerard had noticed earlier.

Frank continued to strain his eyes as Gerard continued into the newly revealed space, but the area remained unlit, leaving Frank's imagination to run wild with possibilities about what they were walking into. Frank briefly considering suggesting that they fly until they reached another wall, but the stalactites he had noticed earlier could easily tear their wings to shreds if they weren't able to avoid them.

A loud scuffling sound that suddenly erupted throughout the quiet room had Frank biting back a curse as he instinctually clutched tighter to Gerard who had gone stiff and motionless. Frank froze as well, trying to ascertain if the noise was caused by one of them or if something else was occupying the space with them.

"What happened?" Frank spoke up when Gerard inched backward, his heavy breathing alarming Frank more and more with every passing second.

"Um - nothing, just...stay right behind me okay?" Gerard answered in a hushed tone of voice, his words emitting in a choked fashion that did nothing to soothe Frank's worries at all.

"Gee - tell me or I'm not moving," Frank protested. He would have crossed his arms for extra emphasis, but he didn't want to let go of his husband just yet, not to mention Gerard wouldn't be able to see the gesture even if he did do it.

"Okay...but you have to promise not to freak out."

"I'll do my best," Frank reassured Gerard, although he was starting to panic already.

"I think we are on a bridge of sorts, I just stepped over the edge right now, and _uh_ \- I am pretty sure there is a huge drop underneath us. I haven't heard the pebbles I accidently kicked off hit the bottom yet."

"Oh that's wonderful," Frank laughed sarcastically, using humor to mask the choking sensation that was currently enveloping him. "Well if we fall, we can always fly back up."

"If we can find the bridge again in the dark that is," Gerard pointed out, his logic going unappreciated by Frank who really didn't want to consider any more ways this could go wrong.

"Well let's make sure we stay on the path then."

"My sense of direction is getting stronger, so just stick close to me okay?" Gerard propositioned, and Frank was more than willing to do just that.

Frank wasn't sure how much time passed before Gerard breathed a sigh of relief and announced that they had bypassed the open space, but in his mind it seemed like hours filled with fearful anticipation. Frank kept waiting for his shoes to connect with nothing before he plunged over the side, or for Gerard to be ripped from his arms, leaving him lost and alone, but by some miracle, they had made it unscathed.

"I think we are almost there," Gerard exclaimed happily. All Frank could do was nod in relief, forgetting for the moment that they were still surrounded by the smothering blackness. "Whatever is tugging me forward is getting stronger, so that has to mean something."

"Good, I have had enough of this creepy cave for one lifetime." Frank finally remembered how to use his words again now that his heart was no longer in his throat, but Gerard was already tugging him along at a rapid pace.

Frank wasn't sure if Gerard's eyes were better adjusted to the darkness than his were, or if his internal compass was lending him a sixth sense that allowed him to make his way throughout the cavern without incident, but whatever the case was, Gerard safely navigated them to another wall that was thankfully spotlit just like the gems had been, and once again the surface was carved with a short line of script.

" _The sword is at hand, but only two can claim it. Love is the key, now all you must do is prove it_ ," Frank read out slowly, the tension in his shoulders quickly unwinding now that he could see again and their goal was so close to being reached.

" _Oh my god_ \- we should totally fuck right here. What better way to prove our love?" Gerard cackled gleefully, earning himself a soft punch to the arm from Frank as a response.

"I refuse to scratch my back all to hell on these rocks, and I'm pretty sure that isn't what Michael meant anyway," Frank scoffed affectionately, unable to hold back the soft giggle that slipped out when Gerard raised one eyebrow at him in that way he did when he was faced with a challenge.

"Oh come on - I'll let you ride me, and it would be totally worth the pain to be able to say we fucked in the secret cavern which holds the sword of Michael," Gerard smirked, leaving Frank to wonder if his husband was joking or not, but either way, he was not going to get naked and lie down amongst a bunch of sharp stones no matter how much Gerard pleaded.

"No you ass, but if you behave, we can fuck when we get back to Heaven."

"Fine, but I am holding you to that," Gerard pouted, which Frank chose to ignore as he examined the doorway more closely.

"I am pretty sure a kiss would work, but I don't see any indents on the wall like there was before," Frank murmured, running his hands over the space in an attempt to uncover a hidden carving, but there was nothing else there.

"Look here though," Gerard pointed, bringing Frank's attention to the floor instead of the door, "there are small holes in the ground, almost like footprints. Maybe we are supposed to stand on them and then kiss."

"Well what are we waiting for," Frank grinned, placing his shoes in the small dips that did seem to fit his feet perfectly, waiting for Gerard to do the same before lacing his hands around his husband's neck, letting their noses rub together for a moment before connecting their lips in a slow kiss.

Gerard hummed happily against his mouth, his eyelashes brushing Frank's cheeks gently as his lids closed and he leaned closer to Frank. Frank almost forgot where they were for a moment in favor of enjoying the wonderful feeling of Gerard's tongue licking at his bottom lip, but the sharp crack which preluded the doorway opening forced him to return to reality. With a reluctant groan, he pulled away from Gerard so he could watch what was hopefully the final barricade falling away.

The first thing that met Frank's eyes was a brilliance that almost blinded him after spending so long in the dimly light cave. Frank had to turn away for a moment to dispel the spots dancing across his vision, but when he was able to look again, he was met with a glorious sight.

It was what they had come for - Michael's sword was right in front of them. The weapon appeared exactly how it looked in the few drawings Frank had seen of it, but at the same time the primitive sketches had done a terrible job of capturing the beauty of it. The hilt was encrusted with multi-colored gems and golden wire which wrapped around the silver metal it was made of, the blade was sharp and clean, with no sign of rust or any other passage of time upon it. The piece was somehow suspended in mid-air although there was nothing visible that could explain how it was being held up, but Frank assumed it was some sort of old magic that he wouldn't understand even if he knew the cause of it.

"Go on," Gerard nudged Frank gently when he didn't immediately move, the subtle touch reminding Frank that he did indeed have to take the weapon so they could return to Brendon and Billie Joe as soon as possible.

Frank approached the sword slowly, a feeling of awe tinged with unworthiness swelling in his chest when his fingers made contact with the cool metal. Frank brought the object to his chest delicately, not wanting to damage the blade in anyway, although he was sure that he could throw it off a cliff and the weapon would remain in perfect condition. The angels of old were masters at their craft, and if the sword had survived this long without even a speck marring it, Frank doubted that any amount of clumsiness on his part would do any harm.

"I like how you look with that sword," Gerard commented as Frank made his way back to his husband's side. "It fits you somehow."

"Yeah?" Frank murmured, peering down at the weapon which did seem to be made for his hand, the hilt resting comfortably against his palm as he shifted it back and forth idly. "Well as long as it helps us defeat the Leviathan, that's all that matters in the end."

"It will," Gerard smiled reassuringly, reaching his hand out to touch the spot next to Frank's knuckles, but as soon his skin made contact with the metal, he hissed in pain, jerking backward sharply as he sucked the apparently burnt pads of his fingers into his mouth.

"Be careful love, angel weapons and demons don't mix well remember?" Frank chastised Gerard gently, moving the blade further away from his husband so he wouldn't be at risk of brushing against it.

"I just wanted to see what would happen," Gerard shrugged, placing one arm around Frank's waist instead as they began making the journey back to the entryway so they could rejoin their friends. "The Leviathan isn't going to know what hit him...or her - did Billie ever say its gender?"

"I honestly don't remember," Frank chuckled fondly, not at all surprised that Gerard was concerned with what pronouns to use on a mythical creature.

"I'll have to ask him," Gerard noted, his footsteps quickening as they neared the bridge they had passed over earlier, which was somehow now brightly lit even though it hadn't been that way before. "Come on sugar, I want to get back to Heaven. I have had enough of nature for one day."

"I'm going as fast as I can," Frank responded, clutching the sword a little further away from him so he could catch up to his husband, wishing that he had received a portion of the burst of energy that Gerard seemed to be imbued with.

But even though Gerard was ecstatic over the successful completion of their quest, Frank couldn't help but see it in a negative light. _Yes_ \- they had retrieved the sword of Michael, but now that meant they had to face the Leviathan that much sooner, and Frank didn't share Gerard's confidence in their abilities to be able to defeat the fearsome creature. 

There was nothing he could do about his worries though, so Frank did his best to save them for a later date, concentrating instead on not dropping the sword and keeping Gerard in sight, pretending that his misgivings weren't eating away at him the entire time.


	22. Basically Just Cheesy Moments Because You Can Never Have Too Many Of Those

Brendon's feet had barely touched the landing area outside of Heaven's gates before Ryan was barreling his way toward him, his arms wrapping around Brendon's smaller frame and tugging him into a tight embrace, trapping him with his long limbs as if he was afraid that Brendon would try to slip away at any moment.

Brendon returned Ryan's affectionate actions gladly, allowing himself to sigh happily against Ryan's chest, because this was the Ryan he had missed during their brief rough patch, but now their small world had righted itself once again, and Brendon was _so fucking_ _grateful_ that it had.

"Missed you," Ryan admitted softly, finally loosening his hold by a small fraction, but he refrained from removing his limbs from around Brendon's waist, which was just fine with him.

Ryan had been unusually clingy since admitting his fears to Brendon once he had allowed his defenses to finally break, but Brendon didn't mind in the slightest, _in fact_ \- he was ecstatic that Ryan was now opening up to him, that he was gluing himself to Brendon's side instead of pushing him away, and even though Brendon knew his boyfriend was still terrified of the upcoming battle with the Leviathan, he was coping with it instead of transferring his worries into anger, and they were actually talking about things which was a much welcomed change from their fighting.

"I missed you too baby," Brendon smiled, although he had hardly been gone a full day, but he always missed Ryan, no matter how small of a time they spent apart.

"So you got the sword, everything went okay?" Ryan asked as Brendon grasped his hand gently, pulling Ryan forward at a slow place, quickly losing sight of Billie Joe, Frank, and Gerard as they headed inside to allow him and Ryan some privacy. Out of the corner of his eye, Brendon noticed Mikey waiting for them in a nearby doorway, and a grin tugged at his lips when he saw Gerard running toward him with an excited look on his face.

"Yep, Frank has it with him right now." Ryan beamed in the way of a response, leaning down so he could lightly kiss the top of Brendon's head as they continued to amble toward the garrison lazily.

The usually bustling structure was emptier than usual of late, mostly because a large portion of the angels stationed there were down on Earth trying to curb the natural disasters caused by the Leviathan, including fighting the wyrens which were appearing more often lately as well.

Billie Joe guessed that the creatures had made their homes deep under the ocean near the Leviathan's lair, and its movements had disturbed them, maybe even destroyed their dwellings, leaving them agitated and bloodthirsty after their long period of dormancy.

"Billie wants to meet up in a bit to talk," Brendon remarked when Ryan remained silent, earning himself a hum of affirmation instead of an actual verbal response. "You doing okay love?" Brendon asked warily, wanting to make sure that Ryan's silence wasn't another attempt at bottling up his emotions. Ryan had been doing so much better lately, but Brendon couldn't help but worry about him.

"Yeah - it's just all happening so quickly you know?" Ryan sighed shakily, tugging Brendon closer as they entered the hallway leading to their room. "We have been talking about this for ages, but sometimes it seems like just yesterday when I was first getting my wings."

"It does, you looked so beautiful then, I'll never forget it," Brendon murmured reverently, gently brushing against the spot where Ryan's pinions would emerge from if he chose to unleash them. "I'm so glad I have you here in Heaven with me, it was so hard only seeing you once a month when you were human, but even after fifteen years, I still get butterflies when I wake up to find you next to me," Brendon admitted, instantly blushing when his sentiment hit the air, but he meant every word of it.

"I would say that was sickeningly cheesy - which it _is_ , but it's also probably the sweetest thing you've ever said to me," Ryan giggled quietly, a red tint staining his cheeks as well which Brendon found absolutely adorable.

"Well it's true." Brendon paused to drag Ryan in for a quick kiss, his lips lingering above Ryan's for a brief moment when they broke apart. "I love you so much, and we are going to make it through this, and then we are going to live happily ever after together for the next million years - sound good?"

"Perfect actually."

~~~

After a brief separation during which Frank and Gerard had safely stored away the sword of Michael, everyone gathered in the Holy Library to discuss what would happen now that they had the sword of Michael, even though this was a topic that they had covered numerous times in the past, but Billie Joe still felt that it was necessary to make sure that everyone was on the same page since the Leviathan could literally awaken any day now.

And as Gerard glanced at the familiar faces surrounding him, he suddenly felt adrift and afraid, which wasn't a sensation he thought he would experience in the presence of the people who meant the world to him, _still_ \- Gerard was struggling to adjust to everything, and the disconnect between his numerous lives was especially prevalent at the moment.

Frank had filled the role of being an angel again with an ease that confounded Gerard; it was as if he had sloughed off his human skin and slipped into his angel form without a second thought, but Gerard couldn't make that transition just yet.

He knew he was a demon - _obviously_ , the claws and wings made certain of that, but most of the time he felt like the person he had been back when he had no idea that supernatural creatures existed outside of movies and Frank was the only angel in his eyes.

Gerard hoped that acceptance would come with time - if he was granted that, which was questionable given the massive battle that was awaiting them on the horizon, and as much as he didn't want to admit it, their survival was most definitely not guaranteed.

Gerard had been refusing to allow his negative thoughts to gain any purchase in his already frazzled mind, but deep down, he had a terrible feeling that this encounter with the Leviathan was going to end badly, no matter how much planning and care they took with it.

Gerard prayed he was wrong, and that he and Frank would make it out of this unscathed, not to mention Mikey and everyone else he cared for, and maybe once this whole ordeal was wrapped up, Gerard could find peace with himself and his new state of being.

It wasn't that Gerard was unhappy with his change of race - not _entirely_. He wished he could be an angel of course, that had been a desire of his ever since he first met Frank fifteen years ago, which could still happen once God's powers were restored, but being a demon wasn't that bad.

He still had Frank, and that was all that mattered in the end, but a part of Gerard missed their human existence, he missed having their own house, their intertwined life that wasn't filled with constant dangers and pitfalls that Gerard wasn't sure they could bypass successfully, but that was all gone now, and dreaming about what would never be would do nothing except bring Gerard down and take his focus away from more important things.

Gerard wasn't as terrified as he thought he would be though, even if a small portion of him seemed to be in a constant state of internal panic, but that section of himself was stored far away in the back of his mind, and it was relatively easy to ignore, especially since Gerard was almost constantly occupied with one thing or another.

In fact, it was almost as if all of this was happening to someone else. Even in the cave, Gerard had done his best to pretend that everything was fine, covering his fear in a thin layer of humor and determination that had helped him travel through the unknown cavern without having a breakdown or something else equally as debilitating.

But now the pinnacle confrontation was looming before them, and with nothing left to do but wait until the Leviathan revealed itself from its ocean hideaway, the misgivings and doubts that Gerard had been steadfastly ignoring were creeping their way up his spine, and despite Gerard's best efforts at not paying them any mind, they weren't allowing him to hinder their progress through his brain at the moment.

Gerard made sure to always present a brave face in front of Frank, not wanting to add to the stress his husband was already under, but Gerard knew that Frank was aware of his internal struggle, his actions showed that, even if he hadn't specifically forced Gerard to talk about it yet.

Gerard didn't want to give a voice to his doubts though, mostly because Frank was so confident in their ability to do this, he seemed truly convinced that they were going to defeat the Leviathan and live out the rest of eternity together, but Gerard was secretly afraid that he was going to let everyone down.

Maybe the old Gerard could have done this, his first demon form had seemed different - _stronger_ maybe. Gerard recalled fighting for his and Mikey's life, not caring what happened to him as long as his brother was safe, of returning to Hell without flinching even though so many things could have gone wrong, but Gerard wasn't that person anymore, he was still the artist that enjoyed cuddling with Frank and reading comic books more than anything else, not some fearless hero that could be trusted with the fate of the world.

But _really_ \- he never had been, that was always Frank. Even during Gerard's first stint as a demon, it was Frank that had helped him run away from Hell in the first place, Frank that had saved him after he received so many grievous injuries from that demon, Frank that had started a war in an attempt to rescue Gerard from Lucifer's grasp.

Gerard had hardly contributed to anything back then - in fact, he typically made things worse with his actions, and Gerard was _so fucking_ _scared_ that this fight with the Leviathan would only be a repeat of the past.

Gerard wasn't even sure what he was supposed to do in the conflict with the Leviathan besides keep Frank safe; he obviously couldn't wield the sword of Michael, that was Frank's job since Gerard wasn't able to touch it without being burned, and if the prophecy hadn't specially stated that an angel and a demon needed to be present to retrieve it in the first place, Gerard's presence here would be entirely unnecessary.

Compared to some of the other angels, Gerard actually wasn't that good of a fighter either, and when it came down to it, he would most likely hamper Frank more than help him. That didn't mean that Gerard wasn't going to do everything in his power to protect Frank, but _still_ \- what if his best efforts weren't good enough.

Gerard didn't want to die - not again, and he couldn't lose Frank either, both of those options were unacceptable. Gerard wished he could remember what had happened to him after he entered the final death, or where his soul had gone, but whenever he pondered on those memories, he could recall nothing besides an empty blackness.

Gerard had poured over the moment of his death numerous times, trying to gain even a flicker of something that would give him a semblance of peace, but it never came. He could remember the pain - _god_ the pain; he had wanted death to come take him away as soon as possible so his suffering would cease for good, but he also hadn't wanted to leave Frank, and he would have gladly lived with the agony for the rest of eternity if it meant he got to stay by his angel's side during it.

That was one image that Gerard tried to gloss over whenever he reminisced on the events leading to his demise, but that was easier said than done, and Frank's heartbroken expression was debatably more painful than having his throat slit had been.

Gerard had never wanted to comfort his husband more than in those final moments of his life, but _of course_ that was the one time he physically couldn't form words. His regret hadn't lasted long though, it had been drained out of him along with all of his blood until he was cocooned in a void that could have been the final death, but it also might not have been. It was possible that his memories of that mysterious stage had been denied him now that his heart beat once more - Gerard wasn't sure, and he probably never would be.

And maybe that was what scared Gerard the most, because although his lack of recollection could be caused by the fact that no living creature was supposed to know about the afterlife, what if there wasn't one? The thought of not existing was a concept that Gerard's brain refused to grasp, and he couldn't handle it if his conscious mind was left alone forever to float in an endless dark void.

"So that's about it," Billie Joe tied up his summary of what was to come for them. "Anyone have any questions?"

Gerard shook his head no along with the rest of the small group, because despite his internal musings, he had been paying attention - _mostly_ , and even if he hadn't, Billie Joe had been preparing them for this ever since he and Frank had returned to Heaven, so it wasn't anything that he hadn't heard before.

To summarize their strategy, they couldn't attack the Leviathan until it appeared above water, because although angels and demons didn't need to breathe oxygen, they were not used to being submerged, and the darkness of the ocean coupled with the fact that their wings would be hampered by the pressure and damp would surely end in their defeat.

 _Still_ \- they wanted to catch the Leviathan off guard as much as they could, which meant striking when it was still hazy and confused, leaving them with a very small window of opportunity. To make sure that they used this to their best advantage, the creature was constantly being watched by a team composed mostly of Bob's demons as well as a group of handpicked angel scouts that were experts in their craft.

When the Leviathan began to show signs of awakening, the fastest fliers available would deliver that message to Heaven, and hopefully they would arrive at the perfect moment to strike the beast down before it could retaliate against them.

In theory, the plan was perfect, but that did nothing to assuage Gerard's fears, and honestly, he was going to continue to worry until this entire ordeal was over.

But when Frank leaned into his side absentmindedly, linking their fingers together before giving Gerard's hand a small squeeze, most of Gerard's misgivings melted away under the sudden assault of love he felt for his husband, and Gerard allowed himself to believe that everything would be okay in the end.

Frank was strong after all, he had faced off against Lucifer and held his own for longer than anyone else had expected, so he could do this too, and this time, Gerard would be there to watch his back, he wouldn't be shackled and bleeding, or beaten within an inch of his life, and that had to count for something.

And _really_ \- he and Frank had suffered through so much already that Gerard dared to hope that they had earned themselves a respite here, that they would come out of this alive and together. They had the might of Heaven and quite a bit of Hell on their side, not to mention Michael's sword, so if anyone could defeat this creature, it would be Frank.


	23. Frank Explains How He Got His First Boner As An Angel

It seemed to Frank that he had barely shut his eyes before he was being shaken back into consciousness again, but that was becoming a routine for him with each day that passed after he and Gerard had reclaimed Michael's sword, so instead of being disgruntled like he usually would be, he had grown used to this.

Every hour seemed to drag on into eons now that there was nothing to do but wait for the Leviathan to show signs of awakening, and although Frank kept himself as busy as he could, there was always periods of downtime in which he had nothing to do besides dwell in his thoughts.

Frank spent most of these occasions with Gerard, knowing his husband needed the company and distraction maybe even more than he did. They were both afraid - _so terribly afraid_ , but neither of them truly wanted to focus on that fear since there was little they could do to alleviate it.

Both of them could tell when it became too much though, and that was when Frank would suggest they go flying for a bit, or they would retire to their room to bury their anxiety in each other's skin, and it worked - _mostly_.

The nights were the worst for Frank, especially when Gerard would fall asleep, which he typically did first. Frank's body was finally becoming acclimated to its angel nature, so he no longer craved rest like he used to, and with his emotions so on edge, it was hard to calm himself enough to allow his body to shut down for a few hours.

But those painful hours with nothing besides his thoughts were coming to an end, because along with the gentle hand that was gripping Frank's shoulder as his eyes blinked open was Brendon's familiar voicing whispering the sentence Frank and been both anticipating and dreading.

"It's time."

Frank simply nodded in response instead of burying back under the blankets with a complaint on the tip of his tongue like he would have a few weeks ago, because this is what he had been waiting for, and as nervous as he was about actually facing the Leviathan, it was almost a relief to finally be able to do something about it instead of twiddling his thumbs while the world fell apart around them.

Frank shook Gerard awake gently once Brendon had left, and for once, Gerard awoke easily, as if he somehow knew how important today was even in his unconscious state. His eyes went wide when Frank explained to him what was happening in a hushed whisper, but besides that, he showed no visible signs of fear.

They both dressed quickly in the clothing they had already set aside for this exact occasion. Armor would be useless against the immense strength of the Leviathan, so they had chosen protective leather gear that would protect them from glancing blows without hampering their movements at all, which was necessary since speed was going to be their greatest asset in this fight.

Once they were ready, Frank turned to Gerard for a moment, placing one hand on his cheek briefly as their gazes locked. Frank did his best to imprint Gerard's face to his memory, because although he didn't want to imagine a world without Gerard in it, he wasn't oblivious to the dangers they were about to head into, so if this was one of the last moments they were going to have together, he was going to make the most of it.

"Are you ready?" Frank whispered, trailing his fingers down Gerard's tense spine idly as he spoke, pulling their torsos closer together in the process until their chests were touching.

"As I'll ever be." Gerard's tone was determined and strong, and even though Frank was aware that his husband was afraid - _hell_ , he was too, but Gerard was brave as well, and now was not the time to be getting cold feet at the last second, so Frank swallowed back the words that were hovering in the back of his throat, plastering on a hopefully convincing smile instead.

"Come on then baby," Frank whispered, pressing a light kiss to the side of Gerard's mouth before pulling away reluctantly. "No sense in putting this off for any longer.

"I love you," Gerard murmured softly as Frank led him out of their room after making sure the sword of Michael was securely fastened to the holster strapped to his back, his body crowding so close to Frank's that it would have been smothering if Frank didn't crave the contact just as much as Gerard did.

"I love you more," Frank reassured him, reaching backward so he could capture Gerard's hand in his, lending the two of them a modicum of strength through the simple gesture that they were both in desperate need of.

~~~

The actual process of leaving was relatively easily due to the fact that they had been preparing for this extensively over the past few days, so once word had come in that the Leviathan had begun to awaken, everyone knew exactly what to do.

In what seemed to be no time at all, everyone was assembled in the main entryway, but even that large space was filled to the brim with the numerous amount of bodies it was attempting to hold. Some angels were forced to spill into the adjacent hallways since there just wasn't enough room for such a huge gathering, but they would be heading out soon, so no audible complaints were voiced about the cramped quarters.

Almost the entire garrison would be present at this battle, only a small team was staying behind to make sure that Heaven wouldn't be completely neglected. Frank hadn't known that this many angels still inhabited the building since so many of them were absent dealing with the disasters happening around the globe, but by his count there was upwards of one hundred of his brethren surrounding him, and he knew there were a few more people that were out of his sight as well.

Frank was crowded in between Brendon and Gerard near the doorway, doing his best to keep a hold of his husband's hand so they didn't get separated in the press of bodies. Gerard jumped slightly when Brendon cleared his throat loudly, waiting for everyone to quiet down before he began to speak. Frank wrapped his arm around Gerard, apologizing to the few people he elbowed in the process, hoping that his touch would calm him down, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet until he felt Gerard slowly relaxing into his side.

"I'm going to keep this short since our mission is simple in theory," Brendon called out once silence had finally fallen, projecting his voice the best that he could so that the people in the back wouldn't have to strain their ears to hear. "We are headed to Somalia as you should all already know. As far as we can tell, the head of the Leviathan is located near there in the Indian Ocean. We will be taking a portal so we can arrive quickly, and once there we will meet up with the surveillance teams already present and plan our attack based on their advice. Make sure to stick together, and if for some reason you don't arrive at the correct destination, find a way to get there as fast as you can."

A low murmur of assent rang out once Brendon had finished, followed by the subtle shifting of limbs and weapons. Pictures of the beach they would be landing at had been passed out days ago, so visualizing their location shouldn't be a problem, at least Frank hoped it wouldn't be.

"Are we all on the same page?" Brendon asked, his eyes scanning the nearby faces which all held varying looks of determination and fear. "All right then, team one will head out now, and make sure to wait in five minute intervals before the next team leaves."

Frank began making his way outside then, pulling Gerard along behind him since they had both been placed in team one. Per Billie Joe's recommendation, each group contained about twenty people so the portal wouldn't get overwhelmed since they would all be using the door located in front of the garrison, and their arrival would be smoothed out by the time gaps in between each group, otherwise they risked landing on top of each other.

It seemed to take ages to traverse the short distance to where the entrance to the portal sat at the edge of the landing field, at least in Frank's mind. He constantly glanced about, trying to gain courage from the sight of his friends surrounding him, but it was still a struggle not to drag his feet as he kept pace with Gerard's longer strides.

All too soon but oddly enough what felt like eons later, the familiar shimmering opening filled Frank's line of sight. Not counting the one he and Gerard had taken during their initial return to heaven, he hadn't been through a portal for years, not since he had to resort to using one to visit Gerard's old gravesite back when his wing was too damaged to make the long journey by air, and they never failed to remind him of that sorrowful time even if it had been over a decade ago.

And of course, those memories didn't help Frank's current mood -  _in fact_ , they just made everything worse. They were a painful reminder of what his life could very well be like if things went badly today, and although Frank knew he had no control over the events that were about to unfold, he swore then and there that he would do everything in his power to make sure that Gerard was spared from any harm, even if that meant placing himself in danger instead.

This time would be different though, Frank had to believe that or else he wouldn't be able to go through with this. It wasn't an unrealistic expectation, Gerard was healthy now, not chained and suffering after been tortured by Lucifer like he had been before, and they had all of Heaven on their side in this battle, so this endeavor wasn't a completely lost cause at the very least.

"No more than five at a time," Brendon reminded them as people began to enter the portals in pairs of two or three. Frank looked up just in time to see Mikey and Ray for a brief moment before their forms dissipated, leaving only a few more angels in front of them until it would be his and Gerard's turn.

"You doing okay love?" Frank questioned, trying to keep his tone lighthearted so Gerard wouldn't pick up on any of his internal distress.

"Yeah...just nervous. I don't know if this portal works the same way, but the one we used to get in and out of Hell hurt like a bitch," Gerard giggled softly, snapping his mouth shut when the humorous sound transformed into something a bit more hysterical.

"It's not too bad, just keep your eyes closed and you'll be fine," Frank reassured Gerard, moving up a few paces when Billie Joe stepped into the shimmering area along with three other angels. "It mostly just makes you feel dizzy and tingly, in fact, the first time I traveled through one, I got a boner," Frank admitted sheepishly, earning himself a honking bout of laughter from his husband.

"Really?" Gerard exclaimed, his raised voice and out of place mirth acting as a balm to Frank's shot nerves, and even though he didn't miss the raised eyebrows and questioning stares being shot in their direction, he didn't really give a shit if the rest of the garrison thought he had gone crazy.

"Sort of, I mean - I was probably at half mast if I'm being honest, but it was my first stiffy as an angel, before then I wasn't even sure if we could still get it up."

"Oh my god, that hilarious," Gerard chuckled, seemingly no longer bothered at all by the fact that it was their turn to enter the portal next. "I wonder if that will happen to me."

"You better tell me if it does," Frank grinned as they started the short walk into the multicolored swirls that composed the portal, keeping Gerard's attention on him as he began to feel the familiar pins and needles sensation forming in his toes, "or maybe I'll just check for myself."

"I don't know if I will, I mean...you did tire me out last night and -"

The rest of Gerard's sentence was torn away by the sudden rush of air that surrounded them, the portal's magic dragging them forward as soon as they crossed over the threshold separating it from the rest of the world. Frank grasped onto Gerard tightly, making sure his husband had shut his eyelids before doing the same thing, and although Frank wasn't a fan of this form of transportation, it was almost enjoyable with Gerard there to anchor him as their bodies spun and twisted violently.

Sooner than Frank had expected, they were being deposited onto a sandy surface, the soft terrain causing Frank to stumble heavily, and he probably would have fallen if Gerard didn't latch onto his wrist and pull him back up.

"Thanks love," Frank beamed up at Gerard before turning his attention to their surroundings, taking in the flurry of activity that was going on all around them. Angels and what Frank knew to be demons loyal to their cause were running to and fro, some clutching weapons, others holding what looked to be messages, and one man was even carrying two chickens for reasons that Frank couldn't explain.

Just when Frank was about to head in the direction he had seen Brendon and Ryan striding toward, a sudden weight descended on his shoulder, and this time Frank actually did fall, dragging Gerard down with him. Frank would have panicked if it wasn't for the gruff voice that accompanied what he now recognized as a large arm wrapped around his shoulder, so instead of lashing out, he felt his face breaking into a wide grin.

"You motherfuckers," Bob chortled, and although Frank couldn't see his face from his current position, he could tell that his expression most likely mirrored his own. "I missed you assholes, 'bout time you stopped by for a visit."

"I thought you didn't like hugging Bob," Gerard teased, poking at Bob's wrist lightly as he tried to extricate himself from Bob's unexpected embrace, and now that Gerard had brought it up, Frank vaguely remembered Bob mentioning his distaste for the act in the past.

"I don't," Bob defended himself hotly, sitting up quickly which allowed Frank to breathe easily once more, "but this is a special occasion and all, it's been fifteen years since I've seen you and all."

"Don't lie, you're a secret softie at heart," Frank joined in, scraping as much sand off of his clothing as he could before trapping Bob in another hug.

"Shut up," Bob groaned, but he did squeeze Frank back for a brief moment before shoving him away again. "Last time I'm nice to you fuckers."

"You have to be nice to us though or else we might get so upset we won't be able to fight the Leviathan," Frank pointed out, using all of his concentration to keep a straight face even though he was silently choking on his stifled laughter.

This was exactly what Frank needed right now, and he was so glad that Bob had found them as soon as he did. He knew they would have seen him eventually since he had been in charge of the team that was watching the Leviathan for any signs of movement, but he had forgotten how much he enjoyed the demon's brash sense of humor and awkward affections.

"True..." Bob sighed in defeat, pointedly ignoring Gerard who was now bent over and clutching his waist while laughing so hard Frank was honestly impressed by the fact that he was still standing, "doesn't mean you aren't still a little shit though."

"I take that as a compliment."

"Whatever," Bob sighed, rolling his eyes at the pair of them. "Now come on, let's get further inland before the next group of angels lands on top of us, I think you've spent enough time with your ass in the sand for one day."

"Well I won't argue with that," Frank nodded, giving Gerard a moment to compose himself before linking their fingers and following Bob toward a row of tents where most of the other angels seemed to be gravitating at.

"This is what we're calling headquarters," Bob explained as they walked, pride coloring his tone a golden shade that grew more vibrant with every word. "Each station has a purpose, one holds a stash of both Levian and Verium so we can replenish our essences without leaving if needed, that one over there holds the maps in which we record all of the recent disasters as well as track the Leviathan's movements, here is where we compose and send out the missives that can't be spoken mentally because of distance, that's the armory, and we also have a mess hall since a lot of my demons still like to eat food regularly."

"This is amazing Bob," Frank gushed, and it really was. Bob had created a functioning army camp that seemed to be running like clockwork, proving what a great leader he actually was despite his reluctance to take such a role originally.

"Eh it's alright if I do say so myself," Bob smirked, the way his eyes were sparkling belaying his casual tone. "You probably want to head to the -"

"Wait." Frank held up an arm to halt Bob's forward motion, but Bob had already frozen in place too, his eyes going wide as he craned his neck around so he could peer behind them.

"What's going on?" Gerard asked, his eyes dancing from Bob to Frank and back again nervously when neither of them immediately spoke.

"Hush for a second," Frank whispered, closing his eyes so he could better concentrate on the faint mental message that was sounding at the corners of his mind.

_"Enemies spotted, demons approaching from the south that are not on our side, all troops that aren't otherwise occupied should fly out to stop them."_

"We might be under attack," Frank gasped, turning to Bob quickly to see if he knew anything about this. "Did you call in any other demons that we don't know about, because there is a large group heading our way that we weren't expecting."

"No...I didn't, and I don't think they are friendly," Bob whispered, a look of fear crossing over his face that seemed out of place on the usually stoic man, "unless I'm mistaken, and I'm pretty fucking sure I'm not given how long I spent in Hell, I'd bet my life that Lucifer is with them, I can feel his aura from a mile away."

"Shit," Frank cursed sharply, tugging at his hair in frustration as the camp exploded now that the news had gotten out.

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Bob chuckled weakly, his knuckles clenching around the hilt of the sword that was holstered at his side. "Well I don't know about you, but that fucker isn't setting foot in my camp without a fight from me...you in?"

"Right behind you."  Frank nodded determinedly before unleashing his wings, his body seething with fury as they took to the air, joining everyone else headed in the same direction, the sudden mass of supernatural beings blurring into a flurry of feathers and slender bones with the single-minded purpose of preventing Lucifer from carrying out whatever nefarious deeds he was planning on committing.


	24. Keep Your Friends Close And Your Enemies Closer

Frank landed toward the front of the large group of angels and demons that had flown out to halt Lucifer's approach before he could get into the main part of the camp, his knees aching a bit from the force he had hit the ground with, but he was too pent up to be graceful at the moment.

They had chosen to stop at a raised rocky area that overlooked the beach, which would force Lucifer and his troops to position themselves on the sand below, giving them a serious disadvantage if a fight did indeed break out, but knowing Lucifer, he wouldn't let that slow him down much if he was truly determined to reach them.

Bob stood stiffly on Frank's left, his hand still clutching at his weapon as he glared at the rapidly approaching demons. Brendon and Ryan were also close to Frank, both of them looking grim and tense, which was an accurate representation of most people present.

Frank turned away from the horizon for a moment, meeting Gerard's eyes before motioning him to move forward so he could stand next to him, his face scrunching up in a quizzical expression when his husband shook his head vehemently in response, even going so far as to back up as much as he could without bumping into the row of people behind him.

"Baby...come here, there is plenty of space," Frank spoke in a hushed tone of voice, not wanting to disturb the heavy blanket of silence that was smothering their group with an intensity that felt almost sacred.

"Frank...I - I don't want to see him, I can't do this," Gerard whispered softly, his body trembling erratically even though Frank could tell he was trying to hide how much this was affecting him beneath his arms which were crossed over his chest.

"You don't have to be afraid Gee, I swear to god, I won't let him touch you this time."

"I know, but I - if I see his face, it will make me remember everything, and I _can't_...I'm so fucking scared," Gerard admitted, his gaze roving everywhere except toward the group of demons that were drawing closer with every passing second.

"It's okay love, I've got you." Frank pulled Gerard into a fierce embrace, allowing his husband to bury his face in Frank's shoulder as he exhaled heavily.

A part of Frank wanted to take Gerard away from Lucifer, to hide him somewhere that the one-time angel would never be able to find, but at the same time, he couldn't stand the thought of giving Lucifer the satisfaction of knowing that he had run off and cowered at the mere thought of him, and he wasn't going to let Gerard out of his sight for a second.

"I'm sorry," Gerard whimpered quietly. "I shouldn't be this fucked up, I mean - it happened ages ago, but sometimes it still seems like it was yesterday that I was trapped in the Wastelands with him."

"Baby," Frank choked out, his own emotions going haywire as Gerard began to sniffle quietly, "don't apologize. I won't force you to stay if this is too much for you, in fact, we can leave right now, just say the word."

Frank immediately pushed his stubborn pride away, because Gerard was more important than presenting a brave face in front of Lucifer, and Frank did empathize with his husband. Although they hadn't seen Lucifer in over fifteen years, with the way their memories had been restored, they hadn't been given any time to process or move on from the physical and mental wounds they had received back then, they had just stuffed them away in the dark corners of their minds to be dealt with at a later date, so it wasn't a surprise that Gerard was starting to snap under the strain.

"I'm okay," Gerard finally spoke after a brief period of nothing besides shaky breathing and whispered words of comfort, his hold on Frank loosening slightly. "Can I stay behind you though? I'll head to the back if it gets to be too much for me."

"Are you sure?" Frank asked hurriedly, painfully aware of the audible beating of wings that preluded the demons arrival which were growing louder by the second. "Bob and Brendon can deal with this, and I don't want you alone right now." Frank knew that he could ask Billie Joe or anyone else really to escort Gerard away, but he had learned from his past mistakes, so he wasn't going to assume that Gerard would be safe unless he had visual confirmation of that fact, that had ended in disaster last time, and Frank wouldn't allow himself to repeat his previous actions.

Gerard was barely given the chance to nod before the demons touched down on the sandy beach below them, the muted thud of hundreds of feet sounding out much too harshly in the quiet air. Frank stiffened when Lucifer swooped out of the sky, waiting until his troops were situated before placing himself at the front, his pitch black wings creating strong currents of wind that Frank could feel buffering him even with the space separating them.

Appearance wise, Lucifer looked almost identical to Frank's memories of him; his face was angled and stern, but otherwise unremarkable, and if he hadn't been the King of Hell, Frank wouldn't have remembered his features if they had passed each other on the street. His pinions more than made up for that though, they were massive in size, and they seemed to cast a dark pallor over what was in all reality a decently sunny day. He was wearing the same armor that he had donned when Frank fought him all those years ago, but it was perfectly polished now, free of any scuffs and scratches that it had once contained.

"Don't look so happy to see me," Lucifer called out when no one immediately moved, a sinister grin pulling at his lips as he took a few steps forward. Gerard whimpered fearfully at the sound of his voice, his nails digging into Frank's arm which he had latched himself onto. His head was still buried in Frank's shoulder, blocking his view of what was happening before them.

"Stop right there," Brendon commanded sternly, moving up a few paces so Lucifer would know who was addressing him. "You are not welcome at any gathering of Heaven's hosts, so leave now and we will not pursue you."

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?" Lucifer scoffed playfully, his eyes dancing across the assembled angels and demons curiously. "I just wanted to stop in and see how you were doing with the Leviathan problem. It's gotten everyone quite worked up hasn't it?"

"I will not ask you again," Brendon seethed, raising his arm slowly in a gesture that would signal everyone to attack once he let it fall.

"Calm yourself angel, I'm not here to exact my revenge this time, why would I after so many years of peace?"

"Because you're a war loving bastard that enjoys making people as miserable as possible," Bob shouted out, leaving Frank's side so he could join Brendon at the edge of the small cliff.

"Oh hello Bob, long time no see," Lucifer greeted him like they were at a family reunion instead of a tense confrontation. "I have to say, I thought you would have come running back to Hell with your tail between your legs ages ago, but you seem to be doing quite well for yourself... _oh_ \- Frank's here too, I wasn't sure if you would sign back up for this life, but I should have known you couldn't stay away."

"Because I actually have my priorities in order and I know how to put the fate of the world before my own needs," Frank retorted back instead of keeping his mouth shut like he had intended to, but it was so fucking hard to stay calm under the assault of Lucifer's endless taunts. Frank could sense Gerard stiffening in place fearfully, but besides crowding slightly closer to Frank's back, Gerard gave no sign that he wanted to leave just yet.

"And it appears that you have found a way to be reunited with your lover after all," Lucifer smirked coldly, and it took all the self-control Frank possessed not to punch the smug expression off of his face, but he managed to keep his feet grounded, clutching tightly to Gerard's hand to remind him that he had to think of his husband as well, no matter how angry he was.

"You don't get to talk about him, not after everything you put us through," Frank seethed, stepping back a pace so Gerard was directly behind him, blocking him from Lucifer's line of sight completely, thanking the angle of their position which was helping hide Gerard as long as Lucifer didn't take to the air.

"I should have known that God would be able to find a way around the final death," Lucifer shrugged indifferently, completely ignoring the fact that Frank had spoken. "Still - we had some fun, and he's alive, so no hard feelings right?"

"Fuck you," Frank spat venomously, his body visibly trembling as a sudden surge of rage had him seeing red for a split second, only Gerard's tight hold on his arm keeping him in place, otherwise he would have launched himself straight at Lucifer, consequences be damned.

"Get to the point Lucifer," Brendon cut in sharply, attempting to represent the voice of reason before this meeting turned into a bloodbath. "We don't have time for these petty squabbles, the Leviathan could wake up at any moment, so say your piece or leave us be."

"So impatient," Lucifer chuckled, making a point of idly observing his nails like the world wasn't on the brink of destruction, "and if you are too dense to figure it out, I've come to offer my help of course, why else would I be here?"

"Why...what's in it for you?" Brendon queried, his eyebrows pulling down in confusion as he tried to decipher if Lucifer was fucking with them or not.

"Oh use your brain for a moment," Lucifer sighed dramatically, waving his hands around widely as he explained himself. "As much as I love a good dose of mayhem, the Leviathan is as much of a threat to me as he is to you. If you are unable to defeat the creature, it will wreak havoc on the world, humanity most likely won't survive, and then where will I get my souls from? Hell will founder without new demons, and I'm not fond of that idea."

"We don't need you," Frank cut in, unwilling to even consider working with someone as despicable as Lucifer. "We have everything under control, and a few more demons won't tip the scales much either way."

"I wouldn't be so hasty Frank, your borders are looking a bit thin, and you have to consider the fact that it's not only the Leviathan you will be contending with. Its movements will surely bring a horde of wyrens to the surface as well, and my demons are quite skilled in the ways of killing them since I was their original creator, meaning I know all of their weak spots as well."

"Even if you are right, we can't trust you, and I don't have any spare troops that can watch you to make sure that you don't attempt to betray us," Brendon argued back, but Frank could hear the slight waver in his voice which meant he wasn't entirely certain that he was making the right decision. Frank hadn't even considered the wyrens and whatever else the Leviathan would bring with it, and he was becoming aware of the fact that they weren't nearly as prepared for this battle as they thought.

"Believe me, we won't even get near you. I for one don't want to lose any of my demons to the Leviathan, so we will hang back at the borders of the beach while you focus on the beast."

" _Well_..." Brendon paused for a moment, shooting Frank and Bob a questioning look to which Frank simply shrugged in return. Lucifer did have a valid point, and if he kept his word, his demons could change the outcome of this confrontation in their favor, but that was a very big _if_.

"I'm not doing this for you if that helps make up your mind, it's for the good of Hell, and if there is one thing I care about, it is that humanity survives so I can harvest their souls," Lucifer added on, and his reasoning did make sense. He gained nothing by being here, if anything, he was placing himself and his demons in danger. If he had wanted to truly attack them, he could have waited until after the fight with the Leviathan and picked them off when they were weak and exhausted, but he _hadn't_ , and even though Frank never thought he would be siding on Lucifer with anything, his mouth was moving before he had time to process the words escaping his lips.

"I trust him," Frank whispered to Brendon, hoping that Lucifer couldn't hear him from this distance. "If he stays back and leaves immediately after the battle, I'm fine with this." Bob shoved his chin upward sharply in agreement as well, solidifying their decision, and without a moment to spare since it was only seconds later that the ground under their feet began to shake with soft tremors which could only be caused by the Leviathan.

"We will accept your offer Lucifer, and as much as I hate to say it, we could use all the help we can get, but we will be watching you, so don't even think about double crossing us or it will end badly for everyone," Brendon sniffed sharply.

"I would say I'm offended by your lack of faith, but actually I would be more upset if you weren't afraid of me," Lucifer chuckled wryly. "Just so we are all clear, my demons and I will stay near this beach, we will only leave it to attack groups of wyrens that are easy to take down. We will avoid any areas where many of you are present, and if the Leviathan moves near us, we will relocate as well. We promise not to attack you or any of your demons allies for the day, and once the battle is over, we can all go back to hating each other. Anything else you want to add?"

"I have something to say," Gerard spoke up, startling everyone with his actions, but no one was more shocked than Frank.

"Ah Gerard, I could sense you lurking about, but I didn't think you would have the courage to show your face in front of me," Lucifer exclaimed gleefully, rubbing his hands together in a sick parody of delight that had Frank immediately regretting his agreement to work with this monster.

" _Baby_ ," Frank hissed, trying to get Gerard's attention as he stepped out from behind Frank, but Gerard ignored him, only giving Frank's hand a light squeeze before releasing it completely.

"I wanted to thank you actually," Gerard called out, and although Frank could see the soft tremors wracking Gerard's limbs, his voice emerged clear and unbroken, and Frank was so fucking proud of his husband that he had to choke back tears of adoration. "I know you think you won all those years ago by killing me, but you didn't. I still found Frank, and I got to experience a life with him. He is my husband now, and without you, I wouldn't have gotten to go to school with him, to date him, or to marry him, so in the end, you did me a favor, because the past fifteen years with Frank have been so fucking incredible, and it was worth everything you put me through and more."

Without waiting for Lucifer's response, Gerard spun on his heel quickly, making his way back toward the main camp with Frank following close behind him. Gerard didn't stop his forward motion until they had left the cliffs far behind them, and it was only when the tents came back into view that Gerard stopped abruptly, his body shaking so badly that Frank hurried to his side, wrapping both arms around his waist just in case Gerard was about to fall.

"Gee," Frank murmured reassuringly, cradling Gerard close as he spoke. "You did so well, I'm so proud of you."

"I-" Gerard stopped to suck in a deep inhalation of air, his chest heaving as he giggled softly once his lungs were filled, which wasn't what Frank was expecting, but it was better than tears at the very least, "I can't believe I did that - I mouthed off to Lucifer... _holy_ _fuck_." Gerard lunged for Frank's mouth then, pushing their lips together in a messy kiss that was over almost before it began. "I sort of hope the Leviathan shows up right now, I feel like I could take on the world."

"I don't think you're going to have to wait much longer love," Frank grinned, another earthquake grumbling out as if it had heard Gerard's words and was given him what he had asked for. "I'm pretty sure it's almost here."

"Did I tell you that Billie Joe had no idea what pronouns to use for the Leviathan when I asked him?" Gerard mentioned casually, and Frank felt a rush of relief wash over him when it became apparent that Gerard had reverted back to his usual self. "That's the first time he hasn't been able to give me an answer, or at least a long winded theory."

"Even Billie Joe doesn't know everything, even though sometimes it seems like he does," Frank smiled, pressing a quick kiss to Gerard's cheek just because he could. "Now let's go wait for the others, it looks like they are heading back over here now."

"Frankie," Gerard spoke up, resisting Frank's slight tug when he tried to move them in the direction of the tents, "thank you for protecting me from Lucifer, both times I guess, and I just wanted you to know that I'm going to do the same thing for you today. I'm not as skilled a fighter as you, but I'm going to do everything I can to keep you safe."

"And I'll be doing the same for you," Frank choked out, an overwhelming rush of emotions clogging his throat as he gazed up at his husband lovingly. "We are going to make it out of this together."

"I know," Gerard nodded, "together or not at all."

And even though Gerard's sentiment held a slightly morbid edge to it, Frank was inspired by it, because he was following the same mantra. If by some chance Gerard did die, Frank was going to go down fighting as well, no other option was acceptable, and if worst came to worst, Frank would meet Gerard in the final death somehow, because after everything, he knew he would never be able to rest unless Gerard was with him, and nothing would prevent him from finding his husband in this world or the next.


	25. Bruised Tailbones And Awaited Arrivals

After the buzz caused by Lucifer's arrival had died down, Gerard found himself quickly losing the thrum of energy that had been pulsing through his veins since he had arrived. He had assumed that the Leviathan would be making an appearance soon, but apparently it was still deep underneath the water, and they had only been called since its movements had grown much more frequent compared to the previous weeks.

Not knowing what to do with himself, Gerard wandered around idly, making sure to keep Frank in his line of vision at all times as he explored Bob's camp, catching up with a few demons he vaguely remembered from his short stint in hell. Gerard even ended up dozing off at one point with his head cradled in Frank's lap after they had shared a light lunch with Mikey and Billie Joe, which wasn't what he had planned on doing with his free time, but it killed a few hours at least.

Just when Gerard had reached the point where he had nothing better to do besides lie on his back and count how many birds flew by overhead, the number increasing with every rumble of the ground which incited the winged creatures to flee, the largest quake yet hit them, physically lifting Gerard up from his stationary perch before depositing him back down roughly, his tailbone aching slightly from the harsh landing.

"Gerard," Frank's voice rang out from where he was standing a few feet away conversing with Brendon, "you okay?"

"Yeah," Gerard groaned grumpily, shakily regaining his feet before rubbing his sore ass gingerly, "I can't say the same for my butt though."

"Come here you dork," Frank giggled quietly, throwing one arm over Gerard's shoulder when he reached his side. "Do you need me to kiss it better?" Frank teased, earning them both an obnoxious eye roll from Brendon in return.

"If something doesn't happen in the next five minutes then I'm totally taking you up on that offer," Gerard chuckled, rubbing his eyes which felt gritty and swollen due to the sand that was kicked up with ever tremor. "I'm so bored Frankie," Gerard complained, putting on a whiny tone even though he knew Frank couldn't do anything about his current predicament.

"I know love, but it's almost time, we just have to be patient."

"I never thought I'd actually want this thing to show up," Gerard sighed, clutching tighter to Frank when another earthquake shook the beachfront, causing the nearby tents to shudder in an alarming fashion, but nothing broke at least.

"Billie Joe said it should be surfacing within the hour as far as he can tell, see baby - the ocean is moving way more than it should."

"Yeah it is," Gerard nodded, his eyes squinting slightly as he gazed out at the blue expanse before them. "Wait - what the hell is that?" Gerard gestured with an outstretched arm, pointing to an odd dip in the waves that seemed to be dragging the water down into it, almost like a small whirlpool.

"Shit," Brendon cursed, rising up on his toes slightly so he could get a better look at the anomaly. "Billie Joe told me that would happen when it started moving, which means our waiting is about to end. I've got to gather everyone together," Brendon explained, his face going blank for a moment as he sent out a mental message to the now scattered troops.

Gerard busied himself with staring at his fingernails while the angels and demons on their side began to flock around them, nervous energy flooding through his body again now that he had something to focus his attention on. Brendon took to the air briefly, stationing himself atop a small hill so he would be easily seen, pacing back and forth until everyone appeared to be present. Billie Joe joined him not long after, conferring with Brendon briefly, but Frank and Gerard stayed where they were at, holding tightly to each other while they waited to hear what Brendon was about to say.

"It has been confirmed that the Leviathan is officially moving, which means we don't have long until it reaches the surface," Brendon called out loudly once Billie had finished whispering in his ear, a look of excitement tinged with fear painting itself across his features. "I won't speak for long, because we've been over the semantics of this battle a thousand times, but there are a few more things I want to impart to you before we head to our assigned stations."

"Typical Brendon," Frank chuckled quietly, "he just loves to hear himself talk."

"Some things never change," Gerard giggled behind his hand, indulging in the fact that he and Frank could still joke and laugh together minutes before what might be the greatest confrontation the world had ever faced.

"Remember that this isn't going to be like other fights, our weapons won't seriously harm the Leviathan, only Frank's will, so our goal is to protect him and Gerard as much as possible, as well as to take out any wyrens that appear. Lucifer and his demons will help with that, but we can't depend on them entirely, so keep your eyes open and watch each other's backs."

"What do we do if Lucifer betrays us?" an unfamiliar voice called out. Gerard couldn't tell who had spoken, but his question was met with a heavy murmur of agreement, and Gerard had to admit that he was also terrified of that exact event occurring no matter how sincere Lucifer had sounded.

"We will deal with that if and when it happens, but if his army does start attacking, show no mercy. Lucifer is reluctant to get close to the Leviathan though, so he should keep his distance, and if he doesn't, we will make him regret it."

Brendon's statement was followed by a round of hearty cheers, but even though Gerard allowed his voice to join with the others, he truly hoped that they wouldn't have to include a fight with the King of Hell onto their already full plate, that could decimate their slim chance of making it out of this alive, and the Leviathan was more than enough for Gerard to worry about right now.

"When the Leviathan shows up, we will only have a small window of time in which it will be disoriented, and we have to make the most of it. Each minute that passes is only going to give it more of an advantage, so we have to be quick and ruthless. We want to overwhelm it and confuse it so we can give Frank an opportunity to strike. Healers have been assigned to each team, and don't be afraid to seek them out if you need to. I don't want any unnecessary causalities today because somebody was too stupid to know when they needed to take a step back. Just remember, don't do anything reckless okay? This is our best chance at beating this thing, but it isn't our only shot."

"And if the beast is fully coherent when it appears? What then?" someone else queried, which was another possibility that Gerard hadn't considered, causing his stomach to churn uncomfortably at the prospect of facing a fully alert Leviathan instead of the sleep addled one that they were expecting.

"I can assure you that won't be the case," Billie Joe cut in, stepping forward slightly so they could better see him. "The shift from his ocean lair to land will leave him highly disoriented, and you have to remember that this creature has been sleeping for thousands of years. If we weren't here to attack it, it might even take days for it to reach a state of full awareness."

"And if the worst happens and Frank fails?" the same voice asked. "I know we are skirting around that subject, but how is he supposed to succeed in killing this creature when even Michael himself only managed to trap it?"

Gerard flinched then, automatically pulling Frank closer to his side in a protective gesture, because he didn't like hearing someone else doubt Frank's skills, even though they had a valid point, but _still_ \- Gerard had to believe that he and Frank could do this or else this entire endeavor was pointless.

"It's true that Michael wasn't able to slay the beast, but he was also fighting it alone without the assistance of a healer or any backup, not to mention that the Leviathan was at its full power back then. Frank's situation is different, and as long as he lands a critical blow while it is weak and confused, he can do this," Billie Joe countered smoothly, his unwavering countenance strengthening Gerard's faith in Frank's ability to succeed as well. "If for some reason Frank falls, we keep fighting. Brendon will take Michael's sword if he has to, followed by Ray, and if by that point the Leviathan hasn't been slain, then we will most likely be forced to retreat, but let's not focus on that until we have to."

"Does anyone else have a question?" When no one responded, Brendon crossed his arms over his chest sternly, his eyes dancing over the assembly below him as if he was imprinting all of their faces to his memory. "Stay safe, take care of each other, and let's take this fucker down okay?"

A resounding roar broke out once Brendon stepped down, the wall of sound startling Gerard with its intensity, and for a brief moment, he almost thought that the Leviathan had arrived, but _no_ , the noise was coming from the angels and demons surrounding them. It was a battle cry if he had ever heard one, and before long, Gerard found his own yell melding with the ruckus, his hand squeezing Frank's tightly as they screamed defiantly in the face of death and disaster.

Once the shouting had faded into silence, Billie Joe flew down to Frank and Gerard's side, pulling them away from the large crowd which was slowly beginning to disperse into their assigned teams. Billie led them toward the beach where they would have a better view of the water that was now churning so angrily it appeared to be boiling, his hands wringing together nervously the entire time.

"Do you need me to go over the plan again?" Billie Joe spoke up when their feet stopped moving, his gaze darting between their stationary forms and the ocean so rapidly it was making Gerard dizzy just to watch.

"We know what to do Billie," Frank huffed, his thumb rubbing over the sheath which held the sword of Michael idly as he spoke.

"Are you sure though, once more couldn't hurt?"

"Gerard and I are mostly on our own, Brendon, Ryan, Mikey, and Ray will be hanging close to make sure we aren't bothered by the wyrens, you are our healer, but we can call for someone else if we get separated. I'm going to focus on the Leviathan's weak points and also do my best not to die - see, I've got it memorized," Frank recited quickly, ticking off each point on a finger until his hand was splayed open entirely.

"Yes, okay, it seems you are prepared..." Billie Joe chuckled wryly, his laughter trailing off abruptly when another harsh tremor hit them, causing the sand at their feet to shift and swirl together haphazardly.

"Ready yourselves - the head has been spotted," Bob's voice announced loudly as he flew by to join the scouts that were currently hovering over the waves, his black wings creating currents of air that had Gerard's locks blowing every which way as he passed.

"This is it," Frank murmured under his breath before pressing a swift kiss to Gerard's cheek. "Be careful okay, I can't lose you."

"You won't," Gerard replied, his throat clogging up with suppressed emotions as he dragged Frank in for a proper kiss, pressing their lips together briefly before stepping back and unleashing his claws, waiting for Frank to draw his sword before they took to the air together, giving them a better vantage point of the water which was now below them.

At first, Gerard couldn't see anything, the froth that was being kicked up by the waves obscured whatever was hiding below the surface, but when he kept his gaze trained on the small whirlpool he had noticed earlier, he was able to make out a dark shadow moving within it. It was following the spiral pattern of the water, its form growing clearer with each revolution it completed until Gerard could clearly pick out a head coupled with glittering eyes that seemed to be peering up at him.

Gerard had seen sketches in Billie Joe's book that had attempted to capture the creature's likeness, but that paltry recreation of the monster hadn't been enough to prepare Gerard for its terrifying visage when it finally broke through the water, the ocean rising up around it for a brief moment before it allowed the Leviathan to emerge. Gerard's breath hitched audibly as he stared down at the magnificent beast, his mind short-circuiting temporarily when it fully sunk in that this was what they had to defeat.

Their task suddenly seemed impossible to Gerard, because the Leviathan was _huge_ , even with half of its body still submerged below the waves. It was reptilian in appearance, but if Gerard had been asked, he would have said it looked more like a wingless dragon than a snake. Its ridged head which was covered in scales reminded him of the video games he used to play in which he would slay similar creatures, but this wasn't a series of pixels displayed on a screen, it was _real_ , and he couldn't hide behind a controller and laugh off his death this time.

As more of the beast began to appear, Gerard took note of its razor sharp teeth and how the spines on its head continued further down its body, breaking up the dark blue scales that coated every other inch of it. Two limbs were soon revealed as well, but they were small and stunted besides the wicked claws which tipped each of its five toes - or maybe they were fingers, Gerard had no idea honestly, but he concluded that it didn't really matter one way or the other.

Overall, the Leviathan was fearsome to behold, and even though Gerard was fascinated by the creature which seemed to have jumped straight out of a fantasy novel, he had to look away, focusing his vision on Frank instead before the panic crawling up his spinal cord paralyzed him completely.

"I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this." Gerard tried to nail a casual tone, but he knew that Frank had heard the way his voice shook with every other word.

"Eh he doesn't look so tough," Frank croaked, which Gerard assumed was supposed to be a laugh instead. "We can totally take him."

"Yeah - of course we can," Gerard nodded vehemently, gliding closer to Frank as he spoke, noting the fact that Brendon and Ryan were hovering a little off to their left.

"You ready?" Frank asked, his wings pumping back and forth steadily as he waited for Gerard's response.

"Lead the way." Gerard forced his face into a semblance of a grin, hiding behind a veneer composed of false confidence in the hopes that it would soon transform into true bravery if he kept the mask in place for long enough.

"Let's make that thing regret ever opening its eyes," Frank proclaimed, motioning to the angels surrounding them before shooting off in the Leviathan's direction with Gerard close on his heels, the steady pattern of their wing beats competing with the harsh rumbling of the earth beneath them.

This was it, the final confrontation, the battle that would decide the fate of the world, forcing Heaven and Hell to fight together to save everything they held dear to them, and Gerard promised himself then and there that he would do everything he could to live up to the expectations that had been placed on his shoulders.

Everyone was counting on him and Frank, all of their preparation and suffering had led up to this moment, and Gerard hadn't given up so much to let the Leviathan win now, so he pushed all lingering doubts of failure from his brain, including thoughts of the sacrifice that they weren't quite sure if they had met the requirements of or not yet, which was another subject that Billie Joe had chosen not to focus on lately, not that Gerard blamed him.

But none of that mattered right now, because they were going to defeat this creature, that was the only possible outcome in Gerard's mind, and watching Frank race toward the Leviathan with such confidence only solidified that fact, his grey tipped pinions forming a banner of feathers that Gerard would follow anywhere, even into the jaws of death.


	26. Overpowered And Afraid

Gerard made sure to keep close to Frank, his eyes darting around nervously every few seconds as the Leviathan loomed before them. The creature still seemed oblivious to their existence, but Gerard knew that wouldn't be the case for long, and they had to act fast if they had any hope of defeating it.

Gerard could see wyrens emerging from the water as well, but they appeared to be just as confused, if not more so than the Leviathan was. The smaller beings were quickly cut down by the angels and demons that had been assigned that task, but Billie Joe had warned them that more would appear with every increasing frequency as time passed, making the ticking of the clock their main enemy in this situation.

Gerard's wings ached as he tried to keep up with Frank, his husband's speed pushing him to his limits and then some, but he refused to lose sight of Frank in fear that he wouldn't be able to find him again, so he ignored the burn in his shoulder blades as they continued to hurtle toward the serpentine creature.

Gerard was surprised to find that he wasn't as terrified as he assumed he'd be once the Leviathan showed its face, not to say that he wasn't afraid, because he _was_ , but it was buried underneath his intense desire to protect Frank coupled with the rush of adrenaline that was currently pumping through his body, strengthening his limbs and his courage, even when the beast shook itself slightly, its head slowly shifting until they were staring straight into one of its reflective irises.

Gerard belatedly realized that Frank was targeting that specific area for his first attack, which was a good choice given the fact that it was one of the few places on its body that weren't coated with scales that looked harder than diamonds. Small groups of angels were attacking its limbs which seemed to be covered in leathery skin, but from what Gerard could tell from his quick glimpses, they weren't doing much to actually hurt it.

Everything was happening so quickly that Gerard barely had time to process the visual pictures he was receiving before it was hidden from view. It was as if he was floating outside of his body, watching his and Frank's rapid flight pattern without actually being a part of it.

The Leviathan towered over him now, amplifying its huge size and armored body a thousandfold, but the realization that this long awaited confrontation had finally reached its peak still refused to sink in, which Gerard was almost thankfully for, because as soon as it did, he was sure he would start panicking, so the longer he could maintain this aloof state of mind the better it would be for all of them.

The group around them which composed of Brendon, Ryan, Ray, and Mikey broke off suddenly, leaving Frank and Gerard alone with Billie Joe taking up the rear. The others began to fly around the creature's head, keeping it occupied while giving Frank an unobstructed path straight to its pupil.

Gerard held his breath as Frank raised his arm once he was in range, the silver blade he carried glinting in the strong sunlight before Frank brought it down heavily, his arms shoving the steel deep into the dark center of the creature's eye. The following roar of pain that emitted from the Leviathan's mouth had Gerard trembling in shock, his hands rising up to cover his ears even though that did nothing to block out the hideous screech.

The Leviathan was so loud that Gerard almost missed Frank's choked exclamation, but somehow he managed to realize that Frank was in trouble. Ignoring his aching head and the now furious beast, he hurried closer to Frank who had pulled away from the creature hurriedly, his fingers struggling to hang onto his sword which was now coated in a thick layer of dark blood.

Almost in slow motion, Gerard watched as the weapon slipped from Frank's grasp, and before Gerard could second guess his actions, he was plummeting after it, his wings pulling flat against his back as he chased the sword that held their only hope of victory.

The wind battered at Gerard violently, causing his debatably damaged ear drums to ache and his eyes to sting as he kept them firmly trained on the weapon which was steaming slightly for some reason, the blade rotating lazily in the air as it continued to fall, the ocean underneath it drawing nearer with every passing second.

Gerard managed to catch the blade before it hit the water, his claws digging into the gem encrusted metal so it wouldn't escape his palms like it had with Frank, hissing slightly when the sharp stinging sensation began shooting up his arms which happened every time he accidentally touched the weapon. The pain seemed more intense than before for some reason, but Gerard had also never maintained contact with the blade for so long either, so he couldn't be sure if he was just imagining it or not.

Gerard struggled to halt his rapid descent, his skeletal wings not catching onto the air currents as quickly as an angel's would, but even though a large wave soaked Gerard briefly, he managed to avoid hitting the surface of the ocean, his toes skimming the blue water as he turned around and made his way upward once more.

Gerard worried his lip in between his teeth as he tried to find his way back to his original position, because he knew that accidents happened, but even though it was possible that Frank had simply fumbled which had caused him to lose his weapon, Gerard didn't think it had been an act of simple carelessness, even with the handle as hard to grasp as it was. Something had happened to Frank when he had attacked the beast, and now that Gerard had retrieved the sword, he had to make sure his husband was okay.

Gerard paused for a moment so he could tear off the bottom of his undershirt, needing to do something to lessen the pain he was in. Using the strip of fabric as a rag, he rapidly wiped off the black blood that still clung to the handle of the blade, which was much less than Gerard had thought it would be given the fact that the weapon had been soaked when Frank dropped it, but he and the sword had both gotten decently wet, so the ocean had most likely washed off most of it.

When Gerard was done, he wrapped the exposed metal in the stained cloth and firmly grasped it once again, but although his makeshift covering helped with the burning sensation a bit, the weapon continued to protest against his touch continuously, sending hot spikes of pain up his arm every time its position shifted slightly.

Gerard found Frank quickly toward the back of the first line of defense where he must have retreated to once he had seen Gerard catch the sword, a sigh of relief escaping him now that he knew that Frank was unharmed, but his casual exhale quickly turned into a shocked cry as he drew closer, allowing him to decipher why Frank had lost his grip on the sword in the first place.

Frank was _hurt_ \- his hands were curled into fists that he had pulled up against his chest, and even from this distance, Gerard could see they had been badly burned; the skin was blackened in some places, and the rest carried angry red welts that had Gerard wincing in sympathy just looking at them.

"Frank - what happened?" Gerard gasped out, all of his own injuries forgotten immediately in favor of focusing on his husband, in fact, he didn't even register that he was still holding the sword entirely for a short while.

"Its blood - it burned me... _fuck_ ," Frank cursed, his face scrunching up in agony as he attempted to move his fingers. "Billie's coming to heal me, he got caught up with Ray, guess he got hit in the head with a spine when the Leviathan moved suddenly, but he's on his way."

"That looks awful," Gerard whispered, his free arm hovering in the air awkwardly, his desire to touch Frank warring with the knowledge that he would probably only end up hurting him more.

"Way to make me feel better," Frank chuckled weakly, his eyes squeezing shut when the movement jostled his injured appendages. "It's sort of unfair really, like the Leviathan is already fucking huge and nearly impossible to kill, but then it gets acid blood too? Talk about one seriously overpowered monster."

"What are we going to do then...we have to make it bleed if we're going to defeat it right?" Gerard questioned, his own palm beginning to blister slightly as he tightened his grip on Frank's weapon instinctually.

"I don't know - _shit_ Gerard," Frank shouted suddenly, startling him with the sudden shift in his intensity. "Put the sword in its holster...here." Frank turned so Gerard had easy access to the leather case, obviously only just noticing Gerard's discomfort. A soft sigh left his lips as soon as the blade was no longer touching him, but he knew his own small pains were nothing compared to what Frank was currently suffering through. "Are you okay?" Frank asked, trying to inspect Gerard's hands which he quickly hid behind his back.

"I'm fine, I covered it with my shirt so it didn't hurt me all that much," Gerard lied, not wanting Frank to worry about him when they had bigger problems to deal with.

"Gerard," Frank arched one eyebrow knowingly, "let me see."

"It's literally nothing," Gerard whined, but he did slowly bring his hands into view, tilting them upward so Frank could get a glimpse of the reddened areas that looked similar to electrical burns. "I can't even feel them."

"You need to get those healed," Frank chastised him, his head tilting upward in the middle of his sentence, and when Gerard followed his gaze, he saw Billie Joe winging his way toward them rapidly.

"How about _'thank you for saving my sword Gerard, you're such a wonderful husband'_ ," Gerard teased, trying to distract Frank from the agony he was so obviously in until Billie Joe finally arrived.

"That too," Frank grinned, even though it came out as more of an uncomfortable grimace instead, but Gerard appreciated his attempt. "I can't believe I dropped it, I'm such an idiot...I could have ruined everything."

"But you didn't, because I've got your back," Gerard reminded him, needing Frank to remain confident and self-assured since he was drawing most of his strength from him. "We're a team remember?"

"Yeah - _oh thank god_ ," Frank groaned when Billie Joe was finally in earshot. "You gotta heal me Billie, these hurt so fucking bad."

"I'm here now, I'm sorry," Billie apologized as he grasped Frank's hands in his own, the familiar glow of Holy Fire outlining his fingers as he ran them over Frank's wounds gingerly. "I didn't mean to take so long, but Ray was bleeding out and his assigned healer couldn't close his wound, and now we've got hundreds of injuries pouring in because of this damn toxic blood. None of my readings mentioned this, so I wasn't prepared. I should have looked harder though, I can't believe I didn't know about this, it's -"

"Billie, it's okay," Gerard soothed his friend, the fact that he had used a curse word portraying how truly upset at himself he was since they rarely made an appearance in his vocabulary. "Even if you had known, there is nothing we can do about it, but we do need to think of a plan to kill this thing while shedding as little blood as possible."

Billie Joe didn't speak for a short time, concentrating on Frank's hands which were slowly beginning to return to normal. Frank looked better already; his face had lost it pallid cast, and his expression had gone lax the second Billie Joe had touched him. Gerard made sure to obscure his own palms again, not wanting to waste Billie Joe's energy healing such a minor wound, and Frank seemed to have forgotten about it too much to Gerard's relief.

"Thanks Billie, they don't hurt at all anymore." Frank reached out with his now healed appendages, steadying Billie Joe when he faltered in the air slightly, the strain that he suffered after using his healing magic obviously taking its toll on him already. "So is there a way to take this thing down without having that happen to me again?"

"I - I don't think that's a viable option," Billie Joe whispered, his gaze losing focus for a moment as he glanced at the large beast behind them. "Our best shot is a direct hit to the brain, the heart is too protected, and even Frank's assault on its eye apparently didn't reach far enough, its skull is too wide and deep..." Billie Joe trailed off, biting on his lower lip in agitation as he continued to watch the battle that was carrying on without them.

Gerard swallowed heavily, not liking the implications Billie's statement held. He hated the thought of Frank being hurt in any way, and those burns had obviously been exceptionally painful since Frank typically brushed off injuries that would have crippled Gerard, but if Billie couldn't come up with a way to get him out safely, then no one could.

And _yes_ \- they could heal Frank as soon as the beast was dead, but Gerard knew that even angel magic had its limits, and if Frank was too close to death by the time they reached him, there would be nothing they could do.

The urge to cry welled up in Gerard's throat as he tried to think of a solution to this new obstacle, because he refused to lose Frank now, but it didn't seem like they had any other choice except to deliberately put his life at risk if they had a chance of winning this battle.

Even though he didn't want to, Gerard found his gaze being drawn to the confrontation that they had taken a time out from, the angels and demons appearing tiny and insignificant next to the might of the Leviathan. Frank's blow had hurt it, and it appeared that the creature couldn't see well out of its eye that was still bleeding profusely, but it wasn't close to death yet, and every second that passed left it angrier and more violent.

From his position, the battle looked completely chaotic with supernatural beings darting to and fro, small groups forming and then breaking off with no apparent rhyme or reason to their movements, but Gerard knew that the angels were communicating with each other mentally, doing everything they could to keep the Leviathan busy for as long as possible without losing too many people in the process.

Gerard could see some of their troops falling when the Leviathan would twist suddenly, its powerful body and clawed feet raking at the air as it attempted to reach the winged beings surrounding it. More wyrens had appeared now as well, but they seemed to be trying to escape instead of fight for the most part. Gerard hoped that Lucifer was keeping to his word and picking them off when they fled in his direction, but even if he wasn't, Gerard was just thankful that he hadn't attempted to sabotage them yet.

As Gerard continued to observe the scene, he saw an angel take a glancing blow that crippled his wing joint, causing his body to plummet into the seething ocean below. His comrade dove in after him, but the sight still pained Gerard, because people were fighting - _dying_ even, and if he and Frank didn't join the fray again soon, it would all be futile in the end.

"What do we have to do?" Gerard asked, his tone harsh and deep even though he did his best to keep it even, his emotions going haywire under the strain of their dismal situation.

"I was hoping to continue to assault its weak points until it bled out or we got the opportunity for a killing blow, but it's obvious that isn't going to work anymore," Billie sighed, ripping his gaze away from the beast so he could return his attention to Frank and Gerard. "We need to finish this quickly, it's already starting to become more aware, which means we have to land a blow to its brain soon before it regains all of its functions."

"And the best way to do that is?" Frank asked, but Gerard had a feeling that Frank already knew the answer if the grimace on his face meant anything at all, and he was willing to bet that he wasn't going to like it.

"You will need to make your way past its teeth and stab directly upward. The roof of its mouth will be weak, and if you get in the back toward its throat, you should be able to reach its brain that way."

"Okay," Frank nodded resolutely at the same time that Gerard shook his head furiously. He couldn't allow Frank to do that, he would be trapped inside the Leviathan's jaws while what would probably be gallons of blood poured down on him, and Gerard couldn't sit back and watch that, there had to be a better option.

" _No_ \- Frank please, you'll die...I -" Gerard stammered out, his eyes welling up with tears as he tried to formulate a coherent argument that would make Frank change his mind, but of course his brain was failing him now of all times.

"Gerard, baby...listen to me," Frank pleaded, his hands reaching up to cup Gerard's face, stopping his frantic shaking for a brief moment. "We both knew this was a possibility coming into this, and Billie Joe is right, the Leviathan is waking up quickly, so it's now or never. I'm still going to do my best to make it out of there alive, but I need your help to do that. Once you're sure the Leviathan is dead, you have to come in and get me out. I won't be able to fly, so I'm trusting you to take us to Billie so he can heal us both since you're going to get some blood on you too. If you're quick enough, we'll survive."

"I - can't I do it? I can wield the sword, it won't matter if it burns me anyway," Gerard babbled, his fingers clutching at Frank's wrists desperately when the Leviathan let out another pain filled roar, every one of his nerve endings screaming in denial of this risky scheme even though Gerard was aware that they were out of alternative routes.

"I'm stronger than you love, I have a better chance of reaching its brain." Gerard's heart shattered when Frank's voice broke at the end of his statement, his body physically protesting and his thoughts racing wildly as he struggled to accept that Frank was dead set on following through with this no matter the consequences.

"But you're faster too, you'd fly us out quicker," Gerard tried to reason with his husband, knowing he was being selfish, but the notion of standing by and letting Frank do this was tearing him apart inside. "At least let me go in with you, that way I'll be able to help if something goes wrong."

"Gerard...I'm not letting you do that. I failed you fifteen years ago, and I won't let that happen again. I'll come back to you okay? Somehow, someway, I'll find you, I _swear_ , so you need to trust me and have faith that we can both make it out of this."

"I do - I'm just scared," Gerard whimpered, a soft sob catching in his throat when Frank pressed his lips against his cheek gently, his opposition draining out of him when he glimpsed the stubborn resolution that was firmly etched into Frank's features.

"I know, I am too, but I'm going to fight like hell to stay with you, no matter how badly I'm hurt, I'll hang on somehow, because a world without you by my side is hell to me, and after all of this, I know God won't damn me in that way."

"Frank - we need to move," Billie Joe urged, pointing to the Leviathan which appeared to be making its way toward the shoreline at a slow pace, the ocean churning angrily each time it shifted. "I'll stay as close as I can to you for the time being, and I'll call all the other healers that aren't otherwise occupied. I told the nearby angels the plan, and they are going to attack until the beast opens its mouth wide enough for you to get in unharmed. Send me a mental message as soon as you land a blow, I'll let Gerard know once you do so he can retrieve you, but if we are going to do this, it has to be now."

"I'm ready." Frank drew his sword again, examining it for a moment for any signs of damage, but the blood had mostly evaporated from the metal, leaving no visible marring in its wake, which Gerard now understood was the cause of the smoke he had seen coming off of it earlier. "I love you Gerard, _so_ _fucking much_ , and this isn't the last time I'm going to tell you that."

"I love you too," Gerard choked out, doing his best to conceal the tremors wracking his frame as they made their way back toward the Leviathan who somehow appeared even more intimidating than it had moments ago.

And even though Gerard kept repeating Frank's encouraging words over and over in his head as they picked up speed, they didn't stop the tears from streaking down his cheeks before they were torn away by the wind, and they didn't stop the ache in his heart that was intensifying with each beat of his wings, but he couldn't turn back, and he couldn't stop this, all he could do was pray to God, begging them to protect Frank and hoping that they had somehow heard him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never know how to write battle scenes so god knows why I keep making stories with them in it but hopefully this turned out okay. I'm decently happy with it at least.
> 
> The next chapter should be the big climax, and then maybe one or two more after that and I think this book will be done.
> 
> I'll try to finish this up quickly, but I am working on another fic for some unknown reason it's not like I have enough going as it is but at least I haven't published it yet. That is taking up a lot of my free time though, so be forgiving if my next few updates are a bit slow.


	27. The Final Blow

Frank forced himself to keep his eyes trained forward, focusing all of his attention on the monster in front of him instead of his husband, or the other winged beings which were grouping together for one final assault, or the fear that was corroding away at his insides, because he couldn't become distracted, not now when everyone was depending on him to make this last blow count.

Frank's palms ached where they were gripping the sword of Michael even after Billie's healing, his fingers clasping onto the metal as tightly as possible so he wouldn't make another blunder like earlier and end up dropping it. He had been caught off guard initially, not expecting the Leviathan's blood to be acidic in nature, but that wasn't an excuse for his clumsiness, and he couldn't afford a repeat of that mistake, not when his weapon was the only chance they had of defeating this creature.

Frank's throat began to close up the closer he got to the beast, because despite the brave words he had spouted to Gerard earlier, he was so _fucking scared_ that he wasn't going to make it out of this alive, but he couldn't let his fear show in front of Gerard, so he swallowed back the bile bubbling in his esophagus determinedly, needing to remain strong for his love, not to mention the rest of the world.

That didn't mean that Frank wasn't terrified though, because he _was_. Frank didn't want to die, he couldn't fathom being separated from Gerard again, because even if he didn't remember his husband once he reached the final death, he had experienced firsthand the agony Gerard would suffer through without him there. The six months after Gerard's death at Lucifer's hands had been the worst time of his life, and he couldn't condone the person he loved most to that dismal state of existence, but what was he supposed to do?

The Leviathan needed to be brought down, and it had to be done now. If Frank backed out of this, the world would pay for his selfishness, and both he and Gerard might perish either way during the destruction the Leviathan was sure to unleash on the earth once it was fully coherent again.

In the end, Frank knew he didn't have a choice either way. He had to do this, because he couldn't let Gerard take the risk, or anyone else for that matter. If the person who took his place died attempting to perform the task he was supposed to complete, Frank wouldn't be able to live with the guilt that would follow him for the rest of his life, so he had to trust in his abilities and Gerard's speed, and maybe they would make it out of this - they _had_ to.

 _"Everyone is in position, are you ready Frank?"_ Brendon's voice filled Frank's mind, snapping him out of his thoughts and back into the present.

 _"I am...and Brendon?"_ Frank paused both in his mental speech and his rapid flight, waiting for the angels surrounding the Leviathan to attack so he could fly inside its mouth unhindered.

 _"Yes?"_ Brendon asked, and even though Frank couldn't see his friend from where he was hovering, he could imagine the look of concern he was sure Brendon's face was carrying by his tone alone.

_"If something does happen to me, can you take care of Gerard? He is going to need someone to be there for him if I can't be, and I - I just need to make sure that he won't do anything stupid like trying to join me or whatever."_

Frank glanced behind him then, his gaze locking with his husband's teary eyes for a brief moment, and even though Frank ached to pull him into his arms and comfort him until the last possible second, he knew he would lose the small amount of courage he had managed to muster if he gave into that desire, so he kept his limbs firmly pressed to his side instead.

_"Of course Frank, we will all watch over him, I promise, but he isn't going to handle it well if you don't survive, so try your best to make it out of there alive yeah?"_

Frank knew that Gerard would take ages to bounce back from Frank's death, if he ever did that is, but _still_ \- receiving the assurance that Brendon would do everything he could to help him heal just like he had done with Frank all of those years ago calmed his racing heart by a small fraction.

_"I will, and you better as well, I want to see you and Ryan as soon as this fucker is dead."_

Frank knew they had been insanely lucky that almost everyone had made it through this battle with only minor injuries, but he was aware that the longer this dragged on, the more danger his friends would be in, which was another incentive for him to do this, even if it ended in his death.

 _"Of course, you won't be able to get rid of us,"_ Brendon chuckled, _"now let's kill this son of a bitch."_

As soon as Brendon's voice faded from his head, it returned at a much louder frequency, meaning that it was being projected to every angel in the area.

_"On my mark, attack as close to the head as you can, get the Leviathan to open its mouth in three...two...one...go!"_

Frank watched attentively as the winged beings surrounding the creature launched into a flurry of activity, distracting the beast from its previous forward motion as it tried to twist away from the puny nuisances. Its teeth had stayed closed so far, but Frank hoped he would get his chance soon enough.

"You remember what to do right love?" Frank asked softly, fluttering back a few feet so Gerard could hear him without having to raise his voice.

"Yes," Gerard replied, his voice emitting in a quivering fashion that Frank knew meant he was doing everything in his power to keep his composure even though he was seconds away from breaking down.

"Stay close, but don't put yourself in harm's way. Once I land the killing blow, you come get me out, and then make your way to the healers as fast as you can," Frank repeated what Billie Joe had told them previously, not that he thought Gerard needed to hear it again, but if he didn't keep talking, he might start crying at any moment. "Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, Brendon and Ryan are hanging close by, and they'll be able to hear you if you call out their names."

"Okay." Gerard nodded stiffly, and even though Frank swore he wasn't going to give into his instincts, he found himself pulling Gerard into a swift hug, their lips meeting briefly before Frank spun himself around rapidly, gesturing for Gerard to follow him as they inched closer to the Leviathan which was being assaulted on all sides by both angels and demons.

Frank caught sight of Bob hovering near the creatures wounded eye, his clawed hands extended outward as he alight atop of the scaled ridge protecting the delicate organ. Frank winced as he began tearing at the damaged flesh, a phantom sting resonating across his fingers when he recalled how terribly the Leviathan's blood had burned him, but Bob continued his attack, yelling at the few demons near him to help when they came within earshot.

It was only seconds later that the beast seemed to have enough, it's sinuous body shaking back and forth in an attempt to dislodge Bob from his position, a loud roar of pain ripping through the atmosphere as Bob continued to cling to the iris stubbornly.

This was the opportunity that Frank had been waiting for, because its mouth was wide open now, the jagged rows of teeth hedging the space pulling outward to create a gap that was more than large enough for Frank to fit through with room to spare.

Frank moved without thinking, pumping his wings as quickly as could, his small body crossing the short distance in a matter of seconds. Frank didn't allow himself to look back and check if Gerard was following him, because he didn't need the visual confirmation to know that his husband wouldn't fail him in this.

If only Frank carried the same conviction in his own abilities, but he pushed all of his self-doubt aside, because it would do nothing but hinder him in this monumental task that he couldn't afford to fuck up.

Frank made it inside of the Leviathan's gaping maw without incident, a rancid stench that seemed to be a combination of fish and horrendous morning breath assaulting his senses instantly, but he ignored the unpleasant odor which only got stronger the deeper he went.

The creature seemed oblivious to Frank's presence so far, but he wasn't sure how long that would last, so he didn't waste any time in heading toward where he hoped its brain would be situated. It was hard to tell his exact position in the darkness of its mouth, but Frank followed Billie Joe's advice, making his way back to where he thought he could see another opening which could only be the Leviathan's throat.

Frank wished so badly in that moment that Gerard was an angel so he could send him one last mental farewell just in case he was about to take his final breaths, but they had already said their goodbyes, and Gerard knew that he loved him, which was what he would end up telling him if they could communicate inside of each other's minds anyway.

Still, those three words were running through Frank's head as he braced himself, holding his sword high above his head before pushing off of the Leviathan's tongue, launching his body upward with his mantra of adoration for his husband playing on a repeating loop in his brain as he felt the tip of the blade penetrate the soft skin coating the roof of the creature's mouth.

Frank continued to shove harder even after the first rivulets of blood began dripping down his arms, his teeth gritting together as the harsh burning sensation assaulted his nerve endings, but he couldn't stop now, he hadn't gone deep enough, so he pushed the pain away through a supreme effort of will, pretending it was nothing but a minor annoyance even though it was quite easily the worst thing he had ever felt.

His wings pumped furiously as his vision began to white out from the agony his body was in, propelling his weapon further into the Leviathan's skull. Frank's hands were stinging so badly that he wasn't even certain if he was still holding his sword anymore, but after a few moments that felt like years in his mind, the resistance the blade had been meeting gave way entirely, allowing Frank to shove the weapon upward until it was sheathed to the hilt inside of the monster's head.

The resounding scream the creature let out was so deafening that Frank swore it had the power to shatter his bones, the vibrations filling his already pain wracked frame until he was sure he was going to crack open from the intensity of it all, but it didn't matter, because that cry had been a death shriek if Frank had ever heard one, which meant he had succeeded even with all of the odds stacked against him.

Frank lost his grip on the weapon then, falling a short way until he landed on the creature's spongy tongue, the soft impact hurting more than it should given his current state of suffering. Frank didn't know how serious his wounds actually were, and he really didn't have the time to stop and take an assessment of his injuries, which was probably a good thing considering the fact that a visual representation of his pain would only make his agony worse than it already was.

Frank tried to make himself head toward the light of day that his straining eyes could just barely make out, but his wings didn't seem willing to cooperate with the commands his mind was giving them, and when Frank focused his gaze downward, he saw that they were coated with a layer of black blood that was now raining down around him, the acidic nature of it burning his delicate pinions and leaving him incapable of flight.

Frank fought through the pain, trying to stay conscious so he could escape just like he swore to Gerard that he would - _wait_ , where was Gerard? He had said he was going to get him out, he promised, but it seemed to have been hours since Frank had landed his lethal blow, or maybe it had only been seconds, Frank had no idea, his concept of time had been eradicated completely under the strain of everything else.

Frank called out both mentally and physically, his ruined hands attempting to pull his mangled body forward as the wet muscle he lay upon twisted and writhed, but Frank could no longer tell up from down, and despite his best efforts, the world was growing dark around him and he could feel his body sinking down into the blackness that was quickly overtaking the edges of his vision.

Frank thought he heard something then, his name maybe, but it could have been a hallucination caused by his delirious state. It wasn't until he felt soft hands pulling him upward that he knew he had been found, that Gerard had come for him after all, and the relief he felt at that realization almost overpowered the unbearable amount of agony he was in.

Frank wanted to say something, to kiss Gerard, to celebrate in their victory, but his eyes seemed to be glued shut along with his lips, and he couldn't do anything but cling to Gerard with his seared fingers, taking comfort from his closeness and putting his faith in his husband to get him out of this safely before he succumbed to his wounds that were already dragging him downward into a world of oblivion that Frank was afraid he wouldn't be able to escape from once he was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was shorter than usual but I don’t have much time to write lately so I think the next few chapters will probably all be around this length so I can tie this story up quicker.
> 
> Btw I am sorry I keep leaving these on cliffhangers but my goal is to have this entire story finished by the end of the week so I promise I won’t keep you waiting too long.


	28. With A Screech And A Smile

Gerard flew back and forth anxiously, his eyes never leaving the last place he had seen Frank before he had disappeared inside the mouth of the Leviathan. Frank had only been absent for a minute at most, but Gerard was terrified that something had gone wrong already.

What if Frank had gotten hurt, or his blow had been misplaced and it hadn't affected the creature at all? He could be dying at this very moment, waiting for Gerard to come rescue him while he hovered out here oblivious to his husband's distress.

Gerard was tempted to make his way past the jagged row of teeth which were blocking his view of Frank to see if his mental hypothesis had been correct, but Frank had been very firm about him waiting until he was sure the Leviathan was dead before he attempted to retrieve him, and that hadn't happened yet. The beast was still as alert as ever, its scaled body making its way through the shallow waters as it attempted to escape the winged beings that were continuing to harass it.

Gerard noticed that most of the angels surrounding him had pulled back once Frank had made his way into the Leviathan's mouth, most likely because of a mental message that Gerard hadn't received because of his different species. He didn't recognize anyone near him except Billie Joe who was hovering to his right with a nervous look on his face, and he silently prayed that all of his friends were still alive and well.

"Is Frank okay? Has he said anything?" Gerard asked Billie when another thirty seconds had passed, his anxiety climbing higher with each metaphorical tick of the clock. Gerard knew if he didn't distract himself soon, he would tear after Frank without a second thought, so he hoped that carrying on a conversation with Billie would help ease his worries for the time being.

"He hasn't communicated with us yet, but he's alive," Billie Joe answered, and Gerard couldn't tell if the choked quality to his tone meant that he knew something that Gerard didn't or if it was simply a byproduct of the fear that Gerard could feel emanating from both of them in palpable waves.

Gerard briefly considered questioning Billie Joe further, because he was aware that he had powers that other angels didn't possess, including the ability to see if one of his brethren were destined to die soon, but he honestly didn't want to receive an answer to his queries, especially not if they ended up being negative.

Gerard flew slightly closer to the beast instead, wanting to be able to get to Frank as quickly as possible when the moment came. He was so on edge it was as if his bones were physically vibrating, everything else had faded away besides his concern for Frank, including the dull ache in his hands that still hadn't been tended to, but Gerard didn't want to bother Billie with his minor injury when he would need all of his strength to heal Frank very soon.

Just when Gerard thought his skin was about to split open under the pressure of the nervous energy that was coursing through his veins, the Leviathan threw its head back violently, an earth-shattering cry escaping from its throat seconds afterward, the thunderous sound emitting so loudly that Gerard swore it was audible miles away from their location.

Gerard's breath caught in his throat as the screeching died out, his eyes locking with Billie Joe who nodded in confirmation, even though Gerard already knew that Frank had succeeded. The creature was obviously seriously wounded, its eyes had fallen closed and it seemed to be sinking back down into the churning waves bit by bit instead of advancing like it had been previously.

"Is it dead?" Gerard yelled out loudly, having to project his voice to hear himself over the harsh ringing that was filling his ears.

"I don't know...I think so," Billie Joe answered, his face going blank for a moment before he returned his attention back to Gerard. "You need to go now - Frank is calling for you," Billie announced hurriedly, "I'll be at the shore with the other healers, bring him there."

Gerard barely caught the end of Billie Joe's sentence, because he was already hurtling in the direction of the injured beast, his wings pumping faster than they ever had before as he rushed to save his husband.

Gerard was forced to pause when he reached the creature's mouth, because it was mostly closed now, leaving him with hardly any room to maneuver unless he wanted to risk getting nicked by its sharp teeth, but Gerard didn't have time to wait for a better opportunity, so he darted through what seemed to be the largest gap, ignoring the blossom of pain that erupted across his shoulder blade when one of the incisors scraped against his back briefly.

"Frank!" Gerard screamed as soon as he was inside the creature's jaws, unable to make out his husband in the darkness that surrounded him.

Gerard received no answer, so he made his way deeper into the dank space, straining his eyes to their limits as he searched for any sign of Frank, moving as quickly as possible while still attempting to make sure that he didn't bypass any place that his angel may have been hidden in.

Gerard wasn't sure how long he had spent in the Leviathan's mouth at this point, but he knew that every minute counted, and each one that slipped by without a sighting of Frank had his heart rate accelerating and tears gathering in his eyes when he continued to fail in his task of locating his husband.

Gerard began to shake with fear when Frank didn't show himself, because he was letting down the person that mattered most to him. Gerard should have argued harder against Frank's plan, or he should have convinced him to allow Gerard to go with him. Frank had trusted Gerard with his life, and now he was most likely paying the price for that misplaced faith.

Worst case scenarios began to assault Gerard's mind, leaving him to wonder if Frank had maybe been swallowed whole when the beast had tilted itself backward, or if he had missed him earlier on, leaving him torn between turning around so he could comb over the area he had already bypassed or continuing forward into the seemingly never ending maw of the beast.

Gerard gasped aloud when something hot and wet fell on his neck, followed by a familiar burning sensation that Gerard now knew was caused by the Leviathan's blood. When he looked up, he spied Frank's sword lodged in the roof of the creature's mouth, which meant that he was close to Frank's last location, and that realization was worth the pain brought on by the continuous stream of blood that was steadily pouring down around him.

"Frank - are you here?" Gerard called out again, hovering as close to the monster's tongue as he could since he assumed Frank wouldn't be able to fly. If his wings were functioning, he would most likely have made his way out already.

Finally, Gerard spotted a darker shadow against the deep red coloring that surrounded him, and when he threw himself toward it at a breakneck pace, he saw that it was indeed Frank. He was splayed out with his arms extended in front of him, his tattered wings covering most of his frame, the once flawless feathers now rumpled and stained with the Leviathan's blood.

All of the relief Gerard felt at finding his husband dried up as soon as he observed the state he was in, because even though Gerard had known what was going to happen if Frank was successful in killing the beast, his wildest imaginings hadn't prepared him for _this_.

Frank was barely recognizable when Gerard turned him on his side; most of his hair on the left portion of his head was singed away, and his body was covered in blood, both his and the black sludge that the Leviathan secreted. Underneath the fluids, his skin was scarred and blistered, his beautiful tattoos broken up by burns and sores that were so gruesome to look at that Gerard briefly felt the urge to vomit clawing at his throat.

But none of that mattered though, because Frank's chest was still rising and falling, which meant that he was alive, and it was up to Gerard to make sure he stayed that way. Being as careful as he could, Gerard hooked his arms under Frank's knees and back, pulling him to his chest protectively as he forced his aching muscles to propel them both forward, even though his own injuries were beginning to take a toll on him.

"I've got you baby, you're going to be okay," Gerard whispered, not quite sure if Frank could hear him or not, but his husband's damaged hands did clutch tightly to his shirt, and even though Gerard had to bite back a sob when he saw how mangled they were, he reminded himself that Frank could still move, and that he was aware of his surroundings, which had to be a good sign.

Gerard didn't halt his rapid flight this time when he approached the Leviathan's teeth, uncaring of the numerous lacerations he received as he raced through them. His wellbeing didn't matter right now, only Frank's did, and a few more cuts weren't going to make a difference either way.

Once Gerard had successfully escaped from the Leviathan's mouth with Frank still firmly clasped in his arms, he angled their path downward, submerging both himself and Frank beneath the waves briefly, hoping that the water would wash off some of the blood and halt its corrosive effects before it could do any more damage.

The cool spray did feel soothing on Gerard's damaged skin, and it removed most of the dark liquid from Frank's frame as well, but Gerard couldn't tell if it had truly made a difference or not, and _really_ \- he knew Frank wouldn't make it much longer without a healer's touch.

Gerard rushed toward the distance shoreline as quickly as his aching body would let him, continuing to mutter reassuring words to Frank who was breathing harshly, his lungs seeming to rattle where they were pressed against Gerard's chest in an alarming fashion.

Gerard called out mentally, unsure if anyone would receive his message, but that didn't stop him from letting Billie Joe know they were on their way, keeping his eyes peeled the entire time for the black haired angel that held Frank's only chance of survival.

Gerard was faintly aware of a few cries still emitting from behind him, and a part of him wanted to look back to make sure that the Leviathan was truly dead, otherwise this was all for nothing. Gerard belatedly realized that he had left the sword of Michael lodged in the roof of the beast's mouth, but it was too late to retrieve it now, even though they would need it if the creature had someone managed to survive the lethal blow Frank had dealt it.

That was a problem for another time though, and right now, Frank's condition was his first priority, so Gerard continued to push his taxed pinions to the limits, ignoring the weakness inundating his limbs and the hot spikes of pain that erupted down his back every time his wings moved.

Gerard forced his mind to shut down completely as the wind whipped past them, because if he allowed himself to keep thinking, he would make himself sick with worries and what ifs. The harsh air currents agitated his numerous wounds, but he refused to slow down. Gerard did his best to shield Frank as much as he could, knowing that the agony he was currently in was nothing compared to what Frank was suffering through.

A soft snarl which emitted from behind him caused Gerard to turn slightly, only to be met with a stray wyren that seemed to have sensed his weakness and had taken the opportunity to score an easy kill. Not allowing himself to be deterred, Gerard shifted Frank's weight so he could free one of his hands, raking his claws across the beat's strange snout which distorted its human-like features in a gruesome way.

The creature screamed in pain before darting away, obviously not expecting Gerard to fight back as quickly as he did. Gerard didn't bother with finishing off the monster, leaving it to someone else as he continued on with his original trajectory, sheathing his claws in the process so he wouldn't scratch Frank accidentally.

After what seemed like an eternity to Gerard, he finally caught sight of land, a rush of vitality surging through him when the yellow sand of the beach came into view. Gerard headed toward a gathering of angels that were off to his left, praying that it was the group of healers Billie Joe had said he would assemble, because if they weren't, Gerard didn't know if he would be able to fly any further in his current state.

Gerard's knees buckled when he made contact with the ground, a soft cry escaping his lips as he tightened his grip on Frank's instinctively. A sudden wave of dizziness assaulted Gerard as he struggled to keep his feet, and if it wasn't for the supporting hands that seemed to come from nowhere that grasped his shaking limbs, Gerard was sure he would have fallen on his face despite his unwillingness to drop Frank.

"Gerard, it's Billie Joe, can you walk? We need to get away from the sand so it won't get in either of your wounds."

"I - yeah..." Gerard stammered out, allowing himself to be led to where Billie Joe was taking him. "Did we do it? Is the Leviathan dead?" Gerard asked after a brief period of time had passed during which he hadn't been able to focus on anything besides trying not to stumble, not wanting to jostle Frank any more than he already was. 

"You did," Billie Joe beamed, "Brendon just sent out the announcement that it is indeed dead, it's sinking to the ocean floor as we speak."

"And everyone is okay...my brother too?" Gerard continued with his questions, having been so focused on Frank and their task that he hadn't had time to check up on any of his friends and family until just now.

"They are, we did have some casualties, but your brother is not one of them."

"Frank, did you hear that?" Gerard looked down at his husband who was still cradled in his arms, a weak grin tugging at his lips even though the sight of Frank in so much pain had him choking back sobs. "You did it, we _won_ , and it's all because of you."

Frank didn't respond, not that Gerard expected him too, but he continued to watch him as they walked, timing his breaths to make sure that Frank wouldn't slip away from him before they reached their destination, and even though Gerard might have imagined it, he swore he saw an answering smile gracing Frank's features for a brief second, and that small gesture - real or not - gave Gerard hope that everything was going to be all right, that Frank would heal, and that they would live out the rest of their lives together just like Frank had promised him they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short update but this length seems to be working for me right now. I go back to work tomorrow though so I'll be slowing down for a bit again until I get my next day off.
> 
> I think we have two more chapters left and then an epilogue - wow, it is going to be so weird to end this series, but I am excited for how I am going to tie it up and I hope you guys are too.


	29. Place Faith In Falsities

Eventually the small group comprised of the healers Billie Joe had gathered as well as Gerard and Frank made it off of the beach onto smoother ground. Gerard used the utmost care when Billie motioned for him to lie Frank down, not wanting to add to the pain that Frank was already in by jostling him about unnecessarily.

Frank shivered slightly as Gerard watched attentively, his damaged body trembling as if it missed the warmth Gerard had provided him with. Gerard wanted to ask if he could pick Frank back up again, maybe place him in his lap so he would be more comfortable, and also because not being able to feel Frank's heartbeat had Gerard on edge and shaky, but before he could speak, the healers began making a circle around Frank, bringing their glowing hands down to touch any spot of exposed skin that they could reach.

Gerard watched nervously from the sidelines, wishing that he could do more to help instead of being a silent observer, but demons had no skill in healing anyone but themselves, even now he could feel the lacerations on his back starting to knit together again, although the numerous burns he had received didn't seem to be improving just yet.

Billie Joe was the last to join the ring, kneeling down by Gerard's side before placing his palm in the center of Frank's chest, his fingers glowing with the light blue sheen that signified angel magic was taking place. Gerard bit his lip as Billie Joe nodded toward the others surrounding him, signaling them to begin the process that would hopefully bring Frank back from the brink of death.

Gerard watched avidly for any sign of improvement as the seconds ticked by, but besides a few minute changes including a bit of his hair growing back and a few of his smaller wounds disappearing, Gerard couldn't pick out any visible difference in Frank's condition.

These things probably took time though Gerard reminded himself, his own experience with healing hadn't been instantaneous, but Gerard had always thought that was because he was a demon. He briefly recalled that when Billie Joe had mended Frank's wing it had been a quick process, but maybe knitting bones was easier than erasing burns.

Gerard had no idea how any of this worked, but he did know that Frank didn't look any better and that Billie Joe's face was scrunching up in worry, neither of which were a good sign.

"Billie...is something wrong?" Gerard asked quietly, not wanting to disrupt his friend's concentration but also needing to know what was occurring with Frank.

"I - I am not sure yet," Billie Joe muttered in reply, never taking his eyes off of Frank even when addressing Gerard. "His injuries are very severe, so I am not surprised that the healing process isn't as swift as usual, but he should have at least regained consciousness by now."

"Hey," a new voice spoke from behind them, startling Gerard so badly that he couldn't stop himself from jumping in an embarrassing fashion, a blush staining his cheeks when he saw that it was just Brendon and Ryan, the latter of which was clutching his bleeding arm to his chest, but they were alive and smiling at least. "How is Frank doing?" Brendon queried, wrapping his arm around Ryan when the taller man leaned into his side heavily.

"I don't know, but he's fighting just like he promised he would," Gerard replied softly, settling back on his heels so he could keep up his vigil in a slightly more comfortable position.

"That's good, he's going to make it Gerard, he wouldn't leave you behind," Brendon reassured him, his eyes dancing over the healers who were still hard at work to their right. "Do you want to get yourself healed while they're busy with Frank? There is another team by the tents that are taking care of the worst injuries, and you look like you're about to pass out."

"No," Gerard shook his head stubbornly, threading his fingers tightly through Frank's prone ones as he spoke before pulling his hand away when he remembered how burned his husband's appendages were. "I've got to stay with him, and the last time I was healed by Holy Fire I was out of it for ages, so I'd rather not risk it. I'll mend on my own eventually."

"At least let us bandaged you up," Brendon offered, and although Gerard knew he was just trying to help, the only thing he wanted right now was to be left alone so he could monitor Frank's progress.

"I'm fine - _really_ ," Gerard sighed, and he wasn't lying.

 _Yes_ \- his wounds did hurt, but they were insignificant compared to the ever present ache in his chest that was comprised of his fears and worries all involving Frank's wellbeing. His burns were nowhere near as serious as Frank's anyway, so he could worry about them later on once he was sure that Frank was safe.

Brendon wasn't given a chance to argue back after that, because just then, a pained cry broke through their conversation, and Gerard could no longer focus on anything else, because it was his husband that had made that sound, and Gerard's protective instincts were instantly on alert as he crowded as close as he could without getting in the way.

When another whimper left Frank's mouth, Gerard gave up on trying to keep to himself, pushing his way into the circle of healers until he was now a part of them instead of a hovering outlier, his lungs ceasing to function as he observed Frank's creased brow and labored breathing.

Frank was _hurting_ , which wasn't right, this wasn't supposed to happen. If he survived the fight with the Leviathan, everything was going to work out in the end, Billie Joe would heal him and they would continue on with their lives that had been interrupted by the monster's arrival, but Gerard couldn't shake the sinking feeling in his stomach that was alerting him to the fact that something had gone horribly wrong.

Frank screamed again then, his body convulsing weakly from side to side, almost as if he was attempting to get away from the glowing hands that were in the process of healing him. Tears welled in Gerard's eyes when Frank reached out blindly like he knew Gerard was there, a few stray drops slipping past his lashes when he blinked rapidly in the hopes of clearing them.

"Billie?" Gerard questioned in a brief period of silence, unable to voice anything else besides his friend's name although he had a thousand things he wanted to ask bubbling at the tip of his tongue, but luckily Billie Joe seemed to understand the queries that he wasn't able to give voice to.

"I don't know why, but it seems as if Frank's body is rejecting the Holy Fire," Billie explained while doing his best to keep his hand on Frank's heaving chest. "Maybe it's an effect from being exposed to so much of the Leviathan's blood, or something to do with the prophecy, but whatever the case is, he's not mending the way that he should.

"But that's...you have to help him Billie, I can't..." Gerard mumbled weakly, a thick sob welling in his throat and leaving him incapable of speech. " _Please_?"

"I'm still trying Gerard," Billie promised, "but I'm afraid it's hurting him more than anything else."

As if to back up Billie Joe's words, Frank cried out again just then, his spine jackknifing forward sharply as Billie increased the power of his Holy Fire, or at least Gerard assumed that was what he did given the fact that his hand glowed brighter than it had a few seconds ago. Gerard shifted as much as he could without knocking over Billie Joe, catching Frank when his body fell backward before it could hit the ground.

"It's okay baby, I'm right here, I've got you," Gerard whispered, his fingers stroking across any spot of unblemished skin that he could reach. "We are trying to save you, you just have to let us."

"G-Gerard?" Frank asked hoarsely, the fact that Frank had spoken at all startling him since he hadn't said a word after Gerard had retrieved him from the Leviathan's mouth.

"Yeah love, it's me, just listen to my voice and it will all be over soon, can you do that?"

"I - I... _fuck_ ," Frank cursed, his eyes fluttering open for a brief moment before his lids squeezed shut again. "It hurts so much Gerard."

"I know sugar, I'm sorry," Gerard whimpered, stroking his thumb over the back of Frank's hand which contained the least amount of damage.

"Make it stop Gerard - I can't take it," Frank gasped sharply as his entire body began to tremble harshly. "I think it's killing me."

"I don't know what else to do," Gerard sobbed harshly, the expulsion ripping through his throat before he could choke it back. "If we don't heal you, you'll die from your injuries."

" _Help me_ ," Frank shrieked suddenly, his eyes rolling up in his head as his shakes became almost violent in nature. "Gee please," Frank gasped, a shudder wracking his small frame before he lost consciousness once more, and even though Gerard knew that it wasn't a good sign, he was glad that Frank was escaping from his agony for a short time.

"Billie this isn't working," Gerard admitted, another sob escaping from his mouth as he clutched to Frank's still form. "Maybe if we wait for a bit, whatever is causing this will fade away."

"I'm just afraid that if I stop he'll die. He is healing if you look, just unnaturally slowly," Billie heaved out in between deep gulps for oxygen, and it was only then that Gerard realized that the other angel looked decidedly winded; a light sheen of sweat had broken out on his forehead, and his face was visibly paling with every passing moment.

"Gerard's right Billie, you both need a break before you keel over or Frank does," Brendon cut in, gently grabbing Billie Joe's wrists so he could lift him off of Frank, the other healers who hadn't already tired out falling back as well once Billie nodded weakly and allowed himself to be pulled away.

Gerard eased Frank into his lap as soon as he was free to do so, cradling his wounded body to his chest as if that would protect him from the horrible sensations he was currently experiencing. Frank instantly curled into Gerard even though he still appeared to be unconscious, his head resting over Gerard's heart before he ceased to move again.

Gerard didn't know what to do now, or how to feel, because Frank might still be alive, but he had no idea for how long, or how he was supposed to save him if traditional angel magic wasn't working, leaving him filled with desolation and confusion that emerged in the form of tears that were now steadily streaming down his cheeks.

Gerard couldn't stop crying once he started, his emotions were going haywire and they wouldn't be stabilized until someone promised him that there was a way to save Frank. Billie Joe had helped, Frank had healed slightly, but his torso and arms were still covered in blistering wounds, and Gerard wanted them gone, he needed to know that Frank would be all right or he wouldn't have the strength to leave this site.

Gerard once again regretted not taking his husband's place, although he had no confirmation that the outcome would have been any different, but maybe his body could have healed itself, or maybe not. Gerard still didn't understand why Frank wasn't mending properly, so he might have been similarly affected if he had been the one to wield the sword of Michael instead.

This could be the sacrifice the prophecy had forewarned of, meaning that no matter how hard they tried, Frank's death was inevitable, but Gerard refused to dwell on those thoughts, they were doing nothing but making him cry even harder when he considered them coming true, and hadn't they given up enough, did Frank really have to die as well?

"Gerard, can you hear me?" a voice broke through Gerard's thoughts, Brendon's maybe, he couldn't tell over the pounding rush of blood in his ears, but he managed to force himself to function for a little while longer, looking up to see Brendon and Ryan both peering down at him with concern painted across their features.

"Yeah...I'm sorry," Gerard muttered, wiping his eyes harshly before glancing back at Frank. He was still unconscious, but he was breathing easier than before, and he wasn't crying out or shaking anymore at the very least.

"We need to get back to Heaven, Billie Joe thinks that might help kick start the healing process since Frank's angel essence will begin to renew itself there."

"Okay," Gerard responded numbly, straightening out his stiff legs so he could stumble to his feet with Frank still in his arms.

"Do you want some help carrying him?" Brendon suggested, but the mere idea of not having any physical contact with Frank had Gerard flinching away from his friend, his hands curling protectively around Frank's spine even though he knew that Brendon would never hurt his husband. "Never mind, just let me know if he gets too heavy," Brendon retracted his offer, obviously catching onto Gerard's distress.

"I will," Gerard whispered, his voice scratchy and rough from his recent bout of tears.

"We should hurry," Billie Joe announced, staggering into a standing position almost as ungracefully as Gerard had. "The sooner Frank returns to Heaven the better chance he has..." Billie Joe trailed off suddenly, his pallor fading remarkably before his knees gave out, and he was only saved from falling by one of the other healers who caught him at the last moment, Gerard thought his name was Dallon, but he wasn't certain.

"Is he okay?" Gerard gasped, his heart racing with fear for not only his friend, but Frank's best hope of survival, because if Billie Joe was out of commission, Frank didn't stand a chance, no one else was as skilled in healing as he was, and although Gerard knew that was a selfish mindset to hold, he couldn't help himself.

"He will be," Dallon grimaced, shifting Billie Joe's dead weight upward until he was positioned comfortably in his arms. "The healing process drains him, and he put everything he had into reviving Frank. He just needs some rest...we all do."

"Let's go then, the portal is still open, everyone else knows to begin heading home once the camp has been torn down and the evidence of this battle has been hidden away," Brendon gestured, slinging an arm around Ryan's waist in the process.

Gerard wanted to ask Ryan if he needed to seek medical attention before they left, because his arm was still bleeding heavily, but his tongue lay thick and swollen in his mouth, and honestly - he knew that Brendon wouldn't be so composed if Ryan's life was in danger, so his wound probably looked worse than it was, causing him to change his line of questioning instead.

"Have you seen my brother, is he okay?"

"Yes, he's watching over Ray while he gets his head bandaged, but he's unharmed, I promise." Brendon smiled over his shoulder at Gerard who was bringing up the rear of their small group. "They should both be back in Heaven not long after we are, we ordered all of the wounded to retreat as soon as possible. He knows you're alive too by the way, he wouldn't stop asking me about your condition every five minutes during the battle."

"Well that's one thing that went right," Gerard sighed, repositioning Frank so he wasn't rubbing against the burn on his arm as heavily, the fact that Mikey was safe alleviating some of the cloying pressure in his lungs that was threatening to suffocate Gerard if it continued for much longer.

" _Shit_ ," Brendon groaned heavily barely a minute into their trek, "speaking of events not going our way, it appears that Lucifer and a few of his demons are in front of the portal according to our scouts. He hasn't shown any signs of violence yet, but we need to be prepared."

"What is he doing there then?" Gerard sighed tiredly. He didn't have the energy for another confrontation with the King of Hell right now, he had barely had the guts to stand up to him during their last encounter, and if he truly had ill intentions in mind, Gerard wasn't sure if their ragtag group would be able to stop him.

"Fuck if I know, but we should be prepared for anything. If he does try and stop us from returning to Heaven, I'll distract him. You take Frank, Billie Joe, and Ryan through the portal at the first opportunity you get okay?"

Gerard nodded resolutely in agreement, too exhausted to argue with Brendon's faulty plan, his gaze scanning the small group of black winged beings that he could just barely make out at the end of the beach. The gathering didn't look hostile, their claws seemed to be sheathed at least, but Gerard had learned from experience that Lucifer could be crafty, so he braced himself for an attack as they made their way closer to the shimmering portal that would lead them back home.

Gerard kept his eyes peeled downward when they came within earshot of Lucifer, although he knew that the pointless gesture wouldn't help him escape the fallen angel's notice, but he was too weak to look Lucifer in the eye again. It had taken all of his courage to speak to him earlier today, and Gerard had nothing left inside of him now, the only reason he was still able to put one foot in front of the other was because Frank needed him to.

"You all appear to be a bit worn down, it seems the angels suffered many more casualties than I did," Lucifer sneered once they were directly in front of him, but he made no other threatening move just yet.

"That's what happens when you are on the front lines Lucifer," Brendon retorted back, dropping his arm from around Ryan so he could cross his limbs over his chest sternly. "Still, we appreciate you help," Brendon added on, only a faint tint of bitterness coloring his tone an ugly yellow shade as he spoke.

"Of course, I had to make sure the beast was dead with my own two eyes, and I do applaud you for the speedy disposal of it. I didn't think Frankie had it in him, although he looks a bit the worse for wear now," Lucifer chuckled, leaving Gerard seething when he heard his husband's name falling from his lips, but he kept his gaze trained away stubbornly, not wanting to give Lucifer the satisfaction of a negative reaction, watching Frank instead so he wouldn't be inspired to do something stupid in the meantime.

"He will be fine once we get him back to Heaven," Brendon replied stiffly, taking a few steps forward until the gap separating him from Lucifer spanned barely three feet. "Now if you would be so kind as to keep to your word and let us by so we can go our separate ways."

"Oh I will," Lucifer remarked casually, but he made no effort to remove himself from in front of the portal. "I just wanted to make sure that you know that this doesn't mean anything, and that you shouldn't expect help from Hell in the nearby future, this was a one-time occurrence."

"I won't hold my breath," Brendon scoffed, his bravery in the face of Lucifer impressing Gerard immensely since he was already shaking slightly and he hadn't even been addressed by the fallen angel. "Now please, let us pass."

"Of course," Lucifer grinned, gesturing to the portal behind him grandly before motioning to his troops to create a path. "Be my guest." Lucifer watched them as they began to make their way toward the entrance to Heaven, and when his gaze reached Gerard, he swore it burned through him, leaving his skin prickling even though he did his best to pretend that he wasn't at all affected by his past tormentor. " _Oh_ \- Gerard, I did want to ask you something."

"What?" Gerard gritted out, his eyes flickering in Lucifer's direction before he quickly glanced away.

"How does it feel being on the other side of things this time, I bet it stings feeling what Frank did after I killed you does it not?"

"He's not dead," Gerard snapped back, refusing to give Lucifer's words any credit even though the tumultuous storm of emotions raging inside of him were most likely similar to whatever Frank had experienced fifteen years ago, but there was no way in hell he was going to admit that aloud.

"Not yet no, but he will be soon. Even I can tell that those wounds are fatal, and if you could have healed him, you would have already done so by now," Lucifer hummed idly, his carefree nature both infuriating and terrifying Gerard all at the same time.

"Shut up - I don't want to listen to your lies," Gerard hissed, turning his head to the side so Lucifer wouldn't be able to see the tears clogging his vision.

"We will see who is placing faith in falsities soon, but I have a feeling you will be suffering through your own personal brand of hell within the next few days when little Frankie here passes away."

"Just ignore him Gerard," Ryan leaned back to whisper in Gerard's ear, placing his uninjured arm around his shoulder so his body became a barrier between him and Lucifer. "We are almost there, come on."

Gerard mumbled a quiet thank you to Ryan as he followed his advice, a soft sniffle breaking up his words as his cowered into Ryan's side, doing his best to pretend that Lucifer didn't exist as he continued to walk forward at a steady pace.

Lucifer's words weighed down heavily upon his shoulders as they finally passed into the awaiting portal without any other opposition, and although Gerard should have been happy that they were almost back in Heaven, he couldn't concentrate on anything else besides Lucifer's parting statement, the threatening sentence running through his mind on a constant loop no matter how hard he tried to banish it from his brain entirely.


	30. Devotion Reaps Its Rewards

It had been three days since the battle, at least, Gerard thought that was how much time had passed, he couldn't be sure though. Everything was blurring together into a haze of pain, and healing sessions, and slight moments of panic during which Frank's condition would worsen before eventually stabilizing again.

Gerard had hardly slept, or done anything really besides watch over Frank since their return to Heaven. They had been rushed to the medical ward as soon as they arrived, the healers who still had some strength left following them so they could use their magic on Frank, but their attempts had been relatively unsuccessfully as well.

Frank hadn't reacted as negatively as he did when Billie had tried healing him, he hadn't awoken at least, or cried out in pain, but he wasn't mending properly either. His smaller wounds seemed to respond to the holy fire, and his hair continued to grow back with each session he underwent, but the vicious burns littering his arms and torso remained every time, and his injuries were beginning to take a toll on him, leaving him unconscious most days with very brief periods of lucidity in between.

Gerard had finally given in to his friend's demands to take care of his wounds as well, subjecting himself to the agony of holy fire only after Frank was sleeping soundly with Mikey keeping an eye on him the entire time. Gerard had ended up passing out just like he knew he would, and when he woke up to find that his burns had not fully healed either, he wished he had never agreed to put himself through the entire process in the first place.

Billie Joe was confounded by the oddity of their injuries, spending all of his time researching it once he had recovered from the exhaustion that came with using so much magic on Frank, but he unearthed no answers in his books. He told Gerard that he assumed his original hypothesis was correct, and either the wounds created by the Leviathan's blood were resistant to angel healing, or the prophecy was twisting events to meet its demand for a sacrifice.

Whatever the case might be, everyone was at a loss for what to do, and _really_ , there wasn't anything for it but to wait and hope for the best, which wasn't good enough for Gerard. He refused to leave Frank's fate up to chance, but he didn't know how to save him, so he continued his constant vigil by his bedside, praying harder than he ever had before, desperation staining his mental pleas with shades of garish red and blue matching his need and his despair.

Gerard felt like he was dying every time Frank whimpered softly in his sleep, his mangled hands stretching out for some form of comfort that Gerard was too scared to give him in fear of exacerbating his pain. Seeing Frank in such a state was killing Gerard, and once Frank began to run a high fever that left him weaker than before, Gerard lost all control of his emotions, breaking down in sobs even though the action hurt his damaged chest.

Dallon had just left Gerard alone with Frank once again after doing everything he could to make Frank comfortable, telling Gerard to call for him if his condition worsened, which it would eventually, Gerard knew that now, even though he was loath to accept that fact, but it was becoming impossible to keep his faith intact when he could feel Frank slipping away from him with every passing moment.

And even if Frank did somehow survive, Gerard didn't want it to be like this. Frank was horribly scarred, his face twisted and blackened, his eye on his left side carrying a faint sheen the few times it opened which was a sign of blindness, and although Gerard didn't give a shit what Frank looked like, he knew Frank would hate his limitations, especially since his wings were all but ruined, his once beautiful feathers half gone while the rest had seared away to small nubs that wouldn't be capable of flight.

These thoughts only made Gerard cry even harder, the hopelessness of their situation hitting him full force as he curled around Frank's still frame, trying his best not to disturb his husband in the process. Gerard was aware that they had done a great thing by defeating the Leviathan, but the price they were paying was too high, and a part of Gerard wished that Brendon had never come to Frank, even though they would have mostly likely perished either way.

The sound of a door opening filtered through the heavy rush of blood pounding in Gerard's ears, but he didn't have the strength to lift his head, even when soft footsteps began to make their way closer to his stationary position. It was probably just Mikey coming to check up on him, or maybe Brendon, they were both in here almost as often as Gerard was, and they had witnessed him in his weakest moments already, so he wasn't going to stop his tears because they were there - _hell_ , he couldn't even if he wanted to.

"He is supposed to die you know," a crystalline voice that was most definitely not Mikey's or Brendon's filled the air. "In fact, I'm surprised he isn't dead already."

Gerard trained his watery eyes upward, taking in a slender man with curly brown hair and a sad smile staring down at him. Gerard wasn't sure how he knew, but he was certain that this was God, maybe because of the sudden welling of awe mixed with fear that erupted in his chest that he had only experienced once before when he was in their presence.

"What...how are you here? Gerard stammered nervously, confused by their sudden appearance since he had inquired about asking God for their help before, but Billie Joe had explained that they were still cocooned in a state of unconsciousness that would not end until the prophecy was complete, lending more credence to the theory stating that Frank was indeed intended to die all along, but Gerard wasn't going to question this fortunate turn of events.

"It is what I foresaw when I originally shared my vision with Joshua." God's words forced Gerard to stop thinking and focus on the situation at hand, doing his best to ignore the surge of hope that was quickly spreading across his entire body, because he couldn't bear to be disappointed again. "Frank's willingness to sacrifice himself would allow him to defeat the Leviathan, and he would be granted a peaceful rest for his deeds, but he's always been stubborn, even so close to death as he is."

"I...if that's true, then I don't want to live without him," Gerard murmured quietly, a fresh round of tears stinging at his eyes that were already raw from how much he had been crying. "I know I shouldn't ask this, but is there any way you can make it so I pass when he does, I can't stay here alone, and maybe we will find each other again in the final death." Gerard was tempted to beg for God to fix things, to plead with him to mend Frank's wounds instead, but he couldn't find the courage to be so bold, and he doubted God would intervene either way.

"I admire your devotion to your husband, but I think I have a solution that will be much more favorable to the both of you."

"Does that mean you can heal him?" Gerard gasped, his lungs failing to function as he sat up carefully, glancing back down at Frank excitedly before returning his gaze to God, all plans of maintaining his composure evaporating from one second to the next.

"Not exactly..." God paused, a conflicted look passing over their face so briefly that Gerard almost missed it entirely, "just so you are aware, I am not supposed to be doing this, but in my opinion, you and Frank have sacrificed more than enough in my service. Your death at the hands of Lucifer could have been prevented, not to mention you gave up your lives as humans with barely a second thought even knowing what the consequences could be. I have not forgotten those brave deeds, and although the prophecy is demanding Frank's death, I do not think it is necessary."

"I don't understand," Gerard admitted meekly, his hands twisting together in his lap as he waited for some clarification, not wanting to come off as rude by spouting the thousands of questions he had poised on the tip of his tongue.

"In simple terms, I am going to twist the preordained events that Joshua spoke of. This is not always possible, but thanks to Frank's strength, enough time has passed that my powers are beginning to return, which means I can provide you with an escape that was otherwise unavailable."

"Like before when you made us human?" Gerard asked, his sentence emerging in a choked fashion when he considered the possibility of returning to his happy existence with Frank that they had maintained for fifteen years previously.

"That would not work in this case, but do not despair," God reassured Gerard, sitting down on the edge of the mattress gracefully before continuing. "The prophecy will not allow Frank to remain in this world, that is the only way peace will be granted, and technically, this garrison is still a part of Earth since we interact with its occupants on a daily basis, but there is one place that is entirely separate from humanity, and that is Heaven itself, the plane where souls ascended to when they decline the option of being an angel."

"So what you're saying is you can send Frank to Heaven, so it's as if he's dying but without being subjected to the final death?"

"You are very close, but Frank will still be alive and in his angel form. I know this is all a bit confusing, but think of it as more of a rise in rank. He will become a guardian of souls which allows him access to the true Heaven, and I can send you as well." God chuckled under their breath when Gerard gasped aloud, a soft sob composed of happiness instead of grief escaping his lips before he could bite it back. "I do not share this information freely, but there is a very small number of angels that are stationed in this level of Heaven. Their purpose is to watch over the souls there and to make sure that no demon ever attempts to reach them, but that has never happened before, so it is a job filled with very little hardships or dangers."

"And he'll be healed?" Gerard dared to ask, knowing that no matter how lofty of a position he was granted, Frank would be miserable in his current condition.

"He will," God nodded in acquiescence. "There is no injury or pain in Heaven, it is literally a perfect world, which is why only the most holy of angels are allowed to set foot there, and Frank has more than earned that right."

"And me...I'm not holy, or an angel for that matter," Gerard stammered, his voice trailing off weakly at the end of his statement. He didn't want to appear ungrateful or stupid, but he was confused on how he was going to be able to join Frank when he was still technically a creature of Hell.

"Oh Gerard," God laughed lightly, the sound resonating inside of Gerard, filling him with a sense of ease that he hadn't felt in ages, the foreign sensation inundating his bloodstream until Gerard found himself smiling giddily in response, "I will make you an angel as well of course. Your race is something I should have rectified the second you came back, and if the prophecy had not demanded a demon and angel pairing, I would have. You are one of us now my child, and after everything you have done, I can think of no one more deserving of some peace."

"I can't believe it, I - _thank you_ ," Gerard whispered, all of the remaining tension in his body draining out of him like water through a sieve. "I can never repay you for this."

"You already have," God replied, their eyes twinkling brightly as they turned their attention to Frank's still form. "This must be done quickly though. I am not sure how much longer my powers will stay intact, and Frank is fading, so he must ascend before it is too late."

"Does this mean I won't be able to see my brother again?" Gerard cursed himself for voicing his question, knowing how ungrateful he was coming off, but he had to receive an answer so he could say goodbye to Mikey if they were about to be separated once again.

"I think I can make an exception and allow your friends and family visitation to Heaven. I often have scouts run messages to the angels there, and I could easily add them on to the rotation list."

"Thank you," Gerard repeated, running out of words to express how grateful he really was, but he hoped that his paltry attempt would be enough to convey how much this meant to him.

"Sit back a bit," God commanded after moving so they were standing over Frank, their slender fingers brushing away the brittle strands of hair that hung over his forehead lankily. "I will send Frank up first, and after that we will begin your transformation."

Gerard nodded wordlessly in response, tucking his knees against his chest as he avidly watched God trail their hands down the length of Frank's body, their lips moving in an almost silent chant the entire time.

Gerard had to bite his lip to stop himself from gasping aloud when Frank started to glow, his skin shining with an internal light that began at his chest and rapidly spread across his limbs. As the radiance continued to grow, Gerard swore he saw Frank's wounds disappearing, but it was hard to tell through the glare that eventually forced Gerard to squeeze his lids tightly shut.

A sudden rush of air kicked up around them, the wind spinning across the room with a strength that pushed Gerard back against the nearby wall, his head hitting it roughly before the force faded away as quickly as it had come. When Gerard's eyes cracked open, he saw that Frank was gone, only the indent on his pillow and the blood stained sheets attesting to the fact that he had been there at all.

"He has arrived safe and sound," God spoke after a few tense second of silence, "and now it is your turn."

Gerard scooted to the end of the bed when God beckoned him closer, a soft shiver erupting across his skin when God placed the pads of their index and middle finger against his forehead firmly.

Gerard had every intention of spouting off a final thank you while he still could, but his tongue was heavy and thick in his mouth, and he found himself rendered speechless as God began to whisper to themselves once more. Gerard trembled violently when he felt a jolt of energy travel from the point of contact he shared with God down to his spine, the energy wrapping around his bones, forcing his wings outward without his consent.

Gerard couldn't turn his head, but he knew without looking that his pinions were no longer the skeletal ones he had sported only moments ago. He was changing into an angel, just like he had always wanted, and that gift, coupled with the fact that he would be able to live out the rest of his life with Frank had a few tears spilling down his cheeks, his emotions going haywire as God completed his transformation.

"You are now an angel in full instead of just in name," God raised their voice briefly, pressing their palm against Gerard's cheek before dragging it down to his chest. "This is the end of the trials life has put you through, and it brings me great joy to be the one to grant you an eternity of peace."

Before Gerard could acclimate himself to the changes his body had gone through, another burst of wind buffeted him, the rapidly flowing air appearing to emit from God's hand as if they were channeling the strong currents directly into his body. The phenomenon felt like it was pulling him upward although Gerard could see that his body wasn't actually moving at all when he risked a quick glance down at himself.

As the sensations increased, Gerard was forced to close his eyes, and instead of the blackness that usually accompanied that action, Gerard was met with a brilliant white light that sucked him in until he was no longer conscious of his physical form.

"Enjoy your new home my son." God's voice seemed to come from all around him, but Gerard could no longer feel the pressure of their hand on his collarbone, and he wasn't entirely sure if he was even in the same room as God anymore.

Everything grew fuzzy and bright as Gerard tried to concentrate, and eventually, he gave up, his mind going deliciously blank as he allowed himself to be taken to Heaven, and more importantly _Frank_.

They were getting their happy ending after all, which was something Gerard had been convinced was out of their reach. Even now it was hard to comprehend that he and Frank had forever to spend with each other, but it was real, this wasn't a dream or a false hope, leaving Gerard happier than he had ever been in his entire life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love when I start writing with the intention of getting a few paragraphs done before bed and then I end up finishing an entire chapter instead.
> 
> So this is it guys, just the epilogue to go which I'm going to try and have up by Monday at the latest.


	31. Epilogue

The first thing Gerard noticed when his eyes reluctantly cracked open was the lack of pain; nothing hurt, not even when he stretched his muscles delicately to test that fact. Gerard was almost afraid to look down at himself, expecting to view the angry burns that he had become accustomed to over the past few days, but when Gerard allowed himself a quick glimpse at his arms, they were clear of any mar or blemish.

The next thing that caught Gerard's attention was the warmth of another body pressed against his own, and even though Gerard already knew who it was without receiving any visual confrontation, his breath still caught in his throat when he turned his head so he could drink in the sight of Frank dozing peacefully with his hand curled around Gerard's wrist as if he needed to know he was there even while he slept.

Gerard couldn't stop staring at Frank, because he was healed as well, not a single wound was visible on his inked skin that Gerard could see, but it was the act of watching the gentle rise and fall of Frank's chest that brought tears to Gerard's eyes, because for the past few days, his breath had rattled in his lungs, each inhale had been painful and hard fought, leaving Gerard afraid to look away in case he missed the moment when Frank would cease to breathe at all. The involuntary action had never seemed so important to Gerard until just now, and he knew he would never take it for granted again.

Frank shifted then, tucking his nose into Gerard's side as he snuggled closer to him, his hair falling across his face as he did so. Gerard stayed frozen in place, too frightened to move in case everything shattered around him, wanting to enjoy this precious snapshot for as long as possible, although there was nothing to disturb them here, no conflicts, no prophecies, but that fact hadn't quite sunk in just yet.

It was as if they had transported back in time to their old home, to when they were human and none of this madness involving monsters and supernatural beings had ever happened, but also different at the same time.

They had been through so much, and those trials had only strengthened Gerard's love for his husband. The overwhelming devotion he felt toward Frank was so intense that his body seemed to be struggling to contain it, and Gerard imagined that he could sense it spilling out of him in a pink tinged haze, his emotions so vibrant that they were manifesting themselves in ways that he hadn't known was possible until just now.

Reluctantly, Gerard forced himself to take a quick peek at his surroundings, and even if God hadn't explained to Gerard where they were going beforehand, he had a feeling that he would know he was in Heaven simply by the atmosphere of this place.

They were in a secluded room that somehow managed to appear cozy and spacious all at once. Through the window to his left which was shedding light across the furnishings, Gerard could see a small garden filled with colorful flowers and winding pathways that he reminded himself to explore once he found the motivation to get up.

That was easier said than done though, especially since the bed he and Frank were in seemed to be woven of silk and clouds. The mattress molded to his body in a way that put his old memory foam topper to shame, the sheets gliding across his skin pleasantly every time he twisted so he could get a better look around.

The adornments of the small space weren't anything special, in fact, they were quite similar to the possessions Gerard had owned on Earth. There was a small dresser next to them, as well as a wardrobe and a larger set of drawers pressed against the far wall, but that was where the similarities ended.

The wood, or whatever material they were created from was pure white, and the longer Gerard stared at them, the more he began to notice the faint sheen that seemed to emit from everything, even the walls. It gave the room a comforting aura, filling the air with ripples of muted colors that washed over Gerard in waves until he was sure that his skin was gaining the unique quality as well.

To sum it up, their surroundings were beautiful, tinged with an ethereal sense of magic that nothing on Earth could compare to, but still familiar enough to leave Gerard at ease instead of nervous which often happened when he was in a new environment.

Gerard was tempted to wake Frank so he could share in these wonders with him, he was practically vibrating with the need to voice his excitement, not to mention he ached to hear Frank's voice again, especially free of all hints of pain, but he resisted the urge, knowing that Frank probably needed his rest after the torment he had recently suffered through.

But as if Frank had read Gerard's mind in his unconscious state, he began to stir just then, his lashes fluttering against his cheeks before he peered up at Gerard with unclouded irises. Gerard felt another round of tears welling in the back of his throat as he returned his focus to his husband, because he was here, with him, in _Heaven_ , a place that Gerard never thought he would have access to, but now he was allowed to share it with the man he loved more than anything else in the world.

"Gerard?" Frank questioned nervously, almost as if he was afraid that this was all a dream and he was about to snap out of it at any second, at least, that was how it seemed to Gerard anyway, and he was still experiencing the same sensations as well.

"It's me sugar," Gerard answered quietly, pulling Frank against his side when his body slumped forward with a visible display of relief. "Do you know where we are?"

"I - I think so," Frank murmured, his eyes dancing around quickly before narrowing back in on Gerard's face. "I heard God's voice in my head. They said that they were granting me a respite for all that I had done and I would be allowed to live in Heaven with you. I thought I must have imagined it, I was supposed to be the sacrifice, but you're here, and I'm alive, so this must be real... _right_?"

"It is...they changed the entire prophecy so we could be together, but it was because you were so strong that they even had the chance." Gerard ran his hands through Frank's hair slowly, processing the silky texture of the undamaged strands that he wasn't sure he'd ever feel again, savoring the way Frank leaned into the action instinctually.

"I could feel you next to me when I was hurt," Frank whispered, his grip on Gerard's wrist tightening, reminding Gerard that he hadn't let go even now that they were both awake. "I was so tired, and in pain, but then I would hear you call my name, or touch my face, and I would force myself to keep fighting for a little while longer."

"I wasn't going to let you slip away from me, you did promise after all." Gerard tried to laugh softly in an attempt to lighten the mood, but the sound he produced was hoarse and clogged with emotion instead.

Everything in that moment felt muted to Gerard, and not in a bad way, but although he was aware of everything that was occurring, he was oddly disconnected from it as well.

It was just hard to comprehend what had happened and where they had ended up so quickly after he had begun to accept that Frank was most likely going to die. A part of Gerard's mind was still shut down with the intentions of protecting him, not allowing him to get his hopes up in case everything was ripped away from him from one second to the next.

"Wait," Frank spoke up again, his spine straightening as he pushed himself away from Gerard's loose hold, "if you are in Heaven...does that mean - Gee, show me your wings."

A soft smile crept over Gerard's lips when he remembered his transformation which had been pushed to the back of his mind momentarily, but it was all flooding back, and Gerard was eager to see himself now that he was finally the angel he has always secretly prayed to become.

As he moved away from the headboard, the comfortable fog that made all of this appear to be an illusion sloughed off of him as he released his feathered appendages - they actually had _feathers_ now, which Gerard could tell when he turned his neck to view the pinions protruding from his shoulder blades proudly, admiring them in the small mirror that hung above the dresser behind him.

Gerard wasn't sure if he or Frank gasped louder at the sight of his wings, but _fuck_ \- they were wonderful, even better than Gerard had dreamed of. Unlike Frank whose feathers looked as if they had been dipped in ink at the edges, Gerard's carried artistic swirls of gray interspersed along with the varying shades of white, a darker border surrounding them, the shading spreading out in whorls and spirals that seemed to have been painted on with the most delicate of brushes.

Viewing physical proof of the melding of his past and present selves in this manner had Gerard shaking slightly. His wings would always be a constant reminder of the sins and redemptions which had led him here, and after recollecting for a few moments over his numerous lives, Gerard emerged fully from the slightly numb state he had been in since he awoke, and before he could process his actions, he was lunging at Frank, wrapping him in both his arms and his wings just like Frank had done for him so many times before.

"I'm an angel Frankie, I - I'm really an angel," Gerard choked out, a sob composed of joy and utter disbelief escaping past his lips before he buried his face in Frank's neck happily.

"You always have been love," Frank cooed, running his fingers through Gerard's feathers gently as he spoke, "at least to me, you're my angel."

Gerard wanted to respond, to tell Frank that he was _his angel_ too, he had been since the first day they met all those years ago, but the words wouldn't flow from his brain to his tongue, so he pressed his lips against Frank's instead, kissing him deeply in lieu of a vocal response.

Frank reciprocated instantly, a quiet sigh leaving his mouth that Gerard swallowed up eagerly, his hands gripping Frank's waist tightly, leaving no space in between the two of them as they continued to kiss like it was their first time and their last chance to ever do this again, although there would be many more of these moments following this one, but none quite so special or meaningful.

"I love you," Frank exhaled softly when Gerard pulled away, a few tears dripping down his face as Frank smiled up at him adoringly, "so much. Thank you for saving me, for not giving up on me, for everything."

"I love you too, and now I've got forever to spend doing just that," Gerard whispered, resting his head on Frank's chest wearily, taking solace in the rejuvenation that he found in being held again after going far too long without.

As the beat of his husband's heart thrummed loudly in his eardrums, Gerard knew that even if they hadn't wound up in Heaven, it wouldn't have mattered in the end. Any place was home to him as long as he fell asleep to this sound every night and woke up to it each morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was short and sweet, but honestly I think this is a perfect ending for them, and I am really happy with this although I do apologize for the delay.
> 
> So this is it - Biblical is officially finished, and it's been a little over a year since I completed TMIAA (I think). I continue to be amazed by how well this series has done, and its success gave me so much confidence as well as fueled my love for writing.
> 
> I can never thank the readers of this series enough. I love seeing every kudos and comment, and even if I don't always respond, they mean the world to me, and this sequel wouldn't have happened without such dedicated followers.
> 
> Hopefully this story did the original justice, I feel like it did, and I have really enjoyed writing it even with all the ups and downs I've been through while doing so.
> 
> If you guys have any questions that you'd like to ask about this story, please don't be afraid to ask. I will do my best to answer them all in a timely fashion.
> 
> So this is goodbye for now. I really hope to see you all around in the comments of my other books, and if not, thank you for being here at all.


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